The Shadow Games
by FlikFreak
Summary: Novelization of the Toei Series, including the characters origins and Death-T. An unsuspecting boy solves a mysterious golden puzzle after eight futile years, but little does he know there's more to this Egyptian artifact than meets the eye...DISCONTINUED
1. The Shadow Awakens

Yeah, yeah

Yeah, yeah. I know. Who would expect Double-F to be interested in Yu-Gi-Oh, of all things? Well, to tell you the truth, this isn't about the cards, and this will be based on both the Manga and the Anime in some ways – meaning if it's different from the manga it's probably using elements from the anime, and vice versa. I haven't seen a novelization around here (yet, I may not be looking hard enough), so I thought I'd do it myself.

SUMMARY: Novelization of Season Zero. Yuugi Mutou, a constantly bullied high school student, finishes a mysterious puzzle one day and inherits the Shadow Games. Can he handle the risks involved with it, or will he succumb to the pressure?

EDITED AND RE-POSTED ON MAY 7, 2008

Also, for reference since not everyone knows who is who, here's the translations (keep in mind that the Japanese pronounce names last name – first name, whereas Americans pronounce them first name – last name.):

Mutou Yuugi – Yugi Muto

Katsuya Jounouchi –Joey Wheeler

Masaki Anzu – Tea Gardner

Hiroto Honda – Tristan Taylor

Nosaka Miho – Miho Nosaka / Melody /"ribbon-chan" (Note that Miho will not be appearing much if at all in this fic)

Mutou Sugoroku – Solomon Muto

_Saa, geimu no jikan da!_ Let's get on with this already.

**Yu-Gi-Oh**

**The Shadow Games**

**Game One**

**The Shadow Awakens**

* * *

A group of archaeologists gathered around a wall they had just broken down. Inside was the tomb of an Egyptian Pharaoh…there HAD to be a good treasure inside, there was no doubt about it. The only thing that they really had to worry about was the curse. Of course, the tomb was of a nameless pharaoh; if no one remembered his name, he couldn't have been _that_ great.

Inside they saw what was right on the money. There were several artifacts, and the room itself was somewhat open…it seemed suspicious, but the Professor with them seemed pleased. No plunderers had reached this tomb yet. He had not ventured in far, however, when he noticed something suspicious on the wall.

It seemed to be some sort of box, and it was well crafted – golden, elegantly decorated, and set carefully in a small hole in the wall. It was displayed in such a way that made it hard to miss, prompting the Professor's attention. The man slowly approached it, hands reaching for it eagerly, but before he could go any nearer he jerked back in pain.

"Professor!" one of the assistants cried, rushing to the man near him.

The man doubled over, clutching his abdomen and shaking violently. He struggled desperately for breath as pain ran in waves over his body. His colleagues gathered around him in attempt to give him comfort or possibly calm him down from the unexpected seizure. "Professor!" One of them cried. "Please, pull yourself together!"

The man looked up weakly, his gaze locked onto the golden box. He now knew exactly what that puzzle was…

_There's no doubt about it. That's got to be…the Puzzle…_

It was strange, but it was almost as though the puzzle was watching him…

* * *

Afternoon recess had finally arrived. As the bell clanged loudly over Domino High, many of the students rushed out of the school building to the courtyard. Some headed for the basketball courts while others hung out near some of the picnic tables. Everyone had something to do, someone to do something with during the mid-day break. Everyone, that is, except for one person.

Yuugi Mutou sat alone in his desk, still in the classroom, assembling a card castle with some spare cards he brought from home. He wasn't good at sports at all, and he didn't have any friends at school anyway. Even so, it hardly bothered him – he was content playing games by himself. When he was home he usually found something to do there, too. It still mildly disappointed him that no one ever came to play with him, but he usually managed to entertain himself somehow. Especially when it came to…

"Yuugi, are you coming?"

The boy turned to look past his card castle to find the source of the voice, but unfortunately he bumped into the edge, causing the whole thing to tumble apart. Paying little heed to this, he glanced up at his classmate in front of him and shook his head, smiling sheepishly. "No, that's fine," He replied.

The boy shrugged and walked off, basketball in hand. As the room swiftly emptied, Yuugi opened his bag and stuffed the cards back into it. He really wanted to play a game with someone sometime, but everyone usually went and did something else. He always brought enough to school to entertain himself, so he didn't mind; the fact was everyone seemed more interested in sports or gossip.

After a moment of pondering, Yuugi finally decided on an activity to amuse himself. _Ah, that's right! What if I finish _that_ today?_ Excited, he pulled a small, golden box covered in Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics out of his bag. Inside the box was Yuugi's greatest treasure, his most prized possession. The riddle of what was inside was "something you can see but you've never seen before," but Yuugi never quite knew what it meant. Eager to get to work, he reached for the box…

…when it got snapped up right from in front of him.

For a moment, Yuugi blinked in surprise, but after snapping out of the momentary shock he turned around to see a very familiar person holding the box in front of him. "Jounouchi?"

The blonde-haired boy behind him, Jounouchi Katsuya, was looking casually at the box in front of him. "Playing by yourself again, Yuugi?" He said, sounding as though he was trying to suppress annoyance. "You know, you act like such a _girl_ about this thing…must be pretty valuable to you."

Yuugi knew good and well that Jounouchi had to be taunting him, but he didn't really want to start a rukus. He jumped up and reached for the box, only to have Jounouchi lift it higher out of his reach. Being naturally short for his age was clearly a nuisance. "Give it back!"

But Jounouchi just laughed. "Not a chance. If you want it back so badly, be a man about it and come at me full force!"

"But I _hate_ fighting and violence!" Yuugi cried, causing Jounouchi to plug his ears – which was a feat, considering he was still holding the box. Yuugi might not have had any guts (as Jounouchi would put it), but his voice was definitely loud.

"Jounouchi," A new voice announced. "Knock it off."

The bully's expression changed from a wince to a sort of smug grin as a brown-haired young man entered. "Well, if it isn't the janitor, Honda."

Honda Hiroto's expression immediately shifted. "I am _not_ a janitor! I'm…"

Jounouchi rolled his eyes as Honda began to ramble about the joys of cleaning dirt and other filth from the world. Instead, he completely ignored the newcomer and turned to Yuugi. "What is this thing, anyway?"

Yuugi felt relieved somewhat, but he was still nervous. "You can look, but don't lose it! It's really, really important to me!"

Jounouchi sighed exasperatedly as Honda got onto him for not listening, and opened the box for a moment. When he closed it, he lifted an eyebrow. Whatever was in the box clearly didn't impress him. Before he could look further into the situation, the box was again snapped away…this time by a girl.

Yuugi smiled brightly as his childhood friend Anzu Masaki entered the room, his precious box in hand. "If this thing bores you so much, Jounouchi, why are you having such a problem giving it back to Yuugi?" She asked sternly. "Besides, if you're wasting time bullying the weak, you're awfully boring yourself."

Jounouchi winced. Anzu might have been a girl, but the whole school knew that she wasn't one to taunt. With a look of utter defeat, Jounouchi quickly made an excuse. "I'm ganna go get some lunch at the cafeteria. Bye!" With that, he rushed off with Honda following after him.

Once the bullies were gone, Anzu handed the box back to her friend, her stern visage swiftly changing to a warm smile before Yuugi could protest against her actions. "Here, Yuugi. It's important to you, right?"

Yuugi nodded eagerly. "Yeah. Thanks!" He glanced toward the door where Jounouchi and Honda stood a moment before. "They're so scared of you, aren't they?"

Anzu shook her head in protest. "If I act soft, they'll be all over me. You really need to have some guts against them. Yuugi…"

"I don't mind," Yuugi replied, smiling cheerfully. "Jounouchi isn't a bad person, not really…"

"If you keep saying that, you're going to keep getting mocked."

Yuugi had to repress a sigh; Anzu was right. The thing that was hard for him was that he couldn't stand to insult anyone in any shape, form or manner…even if he wanted to he simply couldn't, and that made it difficult to stand up for himself. All he wanted to do was have fun and play games. He didn't really feel like starting fights or trouble of any sort, even if it was to defend himself somehow…

"Anyway," Anzu said, breaking the somewhat odd silence, "What's in this anyway? You've never showed me before."

That was all it took to perk Yuugi's interest. Inside the box was a very special treasure to him, but he trusted Anzu with it. "Ah, right! Take a look, but be careful…"

Anzu nodded, smiling, and opened the box. The box itself was somewhat small, but it was slightly heavier than Anzu anticipated. As such, she only slightly lifted the lid when she tried, but what she saw still amazed her.

Yuugi beamed as he pulled out a few fragments of gold from the box. "It's a puzzle!" He said proudly. "I haven't really finished it yet, so I'm not sure what shape it is…it's supposed to be something you can see but you haven't seen."

The brunette couldn't help but chuckle. It was like Yuugi to get into games and riddles…though he didn't often get into riddles as much as he did his love for games. "It looks pretty," she commented. "Where did you get it?"

"It was collecting dust in the far corner of the shop," Yuugi said. "I found it when I was really young and I started putting it together. Someone who used to own the place kept it really safe because it was some sort of rare Egyptian artifact, but he didn't seem to want it when Grandpa took over."

Anzu couldn't help but feel curious. She was familiar with Yuugi living in the upper story of his grandfather's game store, so that came to no surprise. What caught her attention, however, was the fact that Yuugi found the puzzle when he was younger…and another fact.

"Are you sure it's an Egyptian artifact?"

Yuugi nodded. "Yeah. Grandpa studied Egyptology a lot before he started running the game shop, and he's pretty sure of it. Besides, look at the hieroglyphics on the box."

"What do they say?"

"Well," Yuugi began, "Grandpa says they say something about a wish being granted to whoever solves the puzzle. I've been trying for eight years to get _my_ wish granted, but I haven't solved it yet…"

Anzu chuckled. "I'm sure you can solve it, Yuugi. You're good at just about any game that's been thrown at you as far as I know."

Yuugi beamed. Anzu was right. He had solved countless puzzles before. If he kept trying he was bound to solve this puzzle.

* * *

"She ticks me off," Jounouchi muttered angrily as he strode down the hall with his friend.

Honda cocked an eyebrow at his friend. "Who?"

The blonde groaned. "What are you, deaf? I'm talking about Anzu!"

Honda shook his head. "She seems like an okay person to me."

"Hmph," Jounouchi mumbled, either ignoring his friend's comment or trying not to get mad at it. "Who's bullying the wea-_oof!_"

Jounouchi and Honda came to an abrupt halt when they walked right into someone in the hall. They cringed immediately as the recognized him…that dark hair, the banner around his arm, it could only be Ushio, leader of the Public Morale group.

"Say something about bullying, you two?" Ushio asked sternly.

"No!" They both cried simultaneously. "Nothing at all!"

Ushio strongly seemed to doubt them, but he kept walking anyway. Once he was out of earshot, Jounouchi scowled. "I hate him so much…"

Honda couldn't help but agree. Ushio made – and enforced – all of the school rules. He definitely seemed like he was up to something. When he turned back to Jounouchi, he found the blonde grinning smugly with something in his hand: a fragment of gold with a wadjet eye decorated onto it. "What's that?" Honda asked.

"I swiped it from Yuugi's box," Jounouchi said, as though proud of his deed. "I'm pretty sure whatever he's got in there is a puzzle, so if he doesn't have this one piece, he can't finish it."

"You sound like a villain spilling out his evil plan," Honda said dryly. "You're so hopeless…why don't you listen to your brain for once?" With that, Honda walked off, shaking his head. "I'm going to lunch, see you in the cafeteria."

Jounouchi didn't answer. Instead, he turned to the open window and hurled the golden puzzle piece out the window and into the water canal just outside the school. _How is something like this a treasure to him?_ He thought. Yuugi was always acting like a child…it made him so mad. Putting his thoughts aside, he headed for the cafeteria.

* * *

After the last class had ended for the day, Yuugi had packed up his things and put his books back in his locker. As he headed across the courtyard that evening, he noted the Public Morale group having a gathering. After pausing momentarily to observe them, Yuugi quickly left so he would not to disturb them.

"You there!"

Yuugi paused, wincing. Hopefully he wouldn't be in trouble. "…?"

A young, strong-built young man approached Yuugi casually, an enigmatic smirk on his face. "You're Yuugi Mutou, right?"

Yuugi nodded politely, recognizing the student as Ushio. "Yeah, that's me…"

Ushio gained a somewhat concerned look on his face. "I wanted to ask you something. Has anyone been bullying you lately?"

Yuugi's eyes widened slightly, and he blinked in disbelief. How did Ushio know about Jounouchi? "No, of course not."

"Wait a moment." Ushio responded sternly. "A person like you would usually say something like that. I'll have to look into this."

"Um…okay…" For a moment, Yuugi caught something in Ushio's eyes that seemed to betray what he said.

"You can relax, Yuugi," Ushio said, grinning. "I'll be your bodyguard from now on, alright?"

Yuugi didn't like the looks of this for some reason, and began stuttering. "B-but, I really haven't been bullied! Sorry, I need to get going…" He promptly took off running. Though not frantic, Yuugi was definitely confused. _Weird…what's with him…?_

* * *

As the evening sun fell, Yuugi was happy to be home. It had been a long day – more eventful than usual – and he was eager to start working on his puzzle again. When Yuugi opened the door, however, he found a familiar face waiting.

"…Anzu?!" He said incredulously.

"Hi, Yuugi!" The brunette said cheerfully. "It's been a while since I visited."

An old man behind the counter of the shop waved. "You're finally home, Yuugi," he said. "It took you long enough."

"Sorry, Grandpa," Yuugi replied. His grandfather, Sugoroku Mutou, was the owner of the game store, as such he was normally busy. It was getting a tad late, however, so he had some time to visit.

"I heard from Anzu," Sugoroku said. "You still haven't given up on that puzzle?"

"Of course not," Yuugi replied, trying not to look like his feelings had been hurt. "Why do you ask?"

Mr. Mutou shook his head, smiling ever-so-slightly. "That puzzle is beyond human knowledge, Yuugi; I doubt you can solve it."

Yuugi blinked. It wasn't quite like his grandfather to say such things unless he was incredibly serious. Even so, the man continued. "It's got a bit of history behind it that I never really told you before, Yuugi. An excavation team found this puzzle – called the Millennium Puzzle – in the Great Pharaoh's valley, in the tomb of an unnamed pharaoh. After the team returned to Japan, everyone mysteriously died, and the last person left was said to be screaming something about a 'Shadow Game'…"

"That's kind of creepy," Anzu said nervously. "Like the curse on King Tut's tomb…"

"But look what it says," Yuugi protested. "'To the one whom solves this, I will grant great wisdom and power'…" Yuugi's eyes widened in excitement. "I knew it! My wish _will_ come true!" As Yuugi grabbed a firm hold of the box and ran up the stairs to his room, his grandfather in hot pursuit.

"Hey! Give that here! It'll sell for a lot of money!"

"No way! You just want to sell it! This is supposed to be my memento of you!"

"I _knew_ it! You're ganna kill me, aren't you!?"

"Knock it off!"

Anzu shook her head, laughing. She rarely met with Yuugi and his grandfather at times like this, but she knew them well enough to know their sense of humor.

* * *

Later that night, Yuugi was sitting at his desk in his pajamas, still playing with the puzzle. He nearly had it, he was sure. For some reason even, he even felt like he finally found out the riddle.

Unknown to the boy, however, Sugoroku was peering through the keyhole silently. He felt somewhat concerned; the legend said that whoever solved the puzzle would inherit the power of the Shadow Games. Though Mr. Mutou doubted the existence of such a legend, he had hoped that relaying the story to Yuugi earlier would have stopped him. Of course, it hadn't, and Yuugi was working harder than ever to finish it, even after eight futile years.

After a moment's pause, Sugoroku noticed Yuugi nodding off at his desk. He turned away to head for his own room. _Maybe it's best if he doesn't finish it..._

Yuugi, meanwhile, lay peacefully asleep at his desk. The puzzle was half-way completed, and was faintly pulsing.

* * *

The next day at school, Yuugi couldn't stay awake very well in the morning classes. He had stayed up working on his puzzle, and had even fallen asleep at his desk at home. Later in the afternoon he had enough energy to keep up with everyone, though unfortunately he had to catch up on his sleep in a bit of off-time he had between his classes.

"Yuugi."

Yuugi knew the voice anywhere. It was Ushio. "What is it?" He asked meekly.

"Come here. I'm sure you'll like this."

Yuugi, pushover as always, went along with the young man, following him behind the gym of the school to where a few other members of the Public Morale group were standing in a sort of semi-circle. What Yuugi saw in the center of their group was something he absolutely did _not_ like.

Jounouchi and Honda were slumed on the ground against the wall of the building, the other Public Morale groupies next to them. Honda was badly hurt and on the verge of passing out, and Jounouchi had a bloody nose…as well as an extremely angry glare sent Yuugi's way the moment he came into view.

Yuugi called out to them and ran over, but was stopped by Ushio. The older student seemed rather proud of himself, and grinned smugly. "Well, Yuugi? What do you think?"

"What's going on here?!" Yuugi asked, eyes wide in disbelief.

"I told you," Ushio replied calmly, "I'm your bodyguard, so we've been punishing them for you."

"Why?" Yuugi protested. "Ushio, this is horrible!" Ignoring Ushio, Yuugi raced to the two boys collapsed against the ground. "Jounouchi, Honda, are you okay?!"

But Yuugi's blonde-haired classmate just glared at him, hatred burning in his eyes. "I knew you had something to do with this…you happy now?"

Yuugi barely got a protest off his tongue when Ushio stepped forward. "Move, Yuugi. I'm not done with these two yet." And following his words, he sent another kick to the two boys against the wall. Neither of them could move to dodge or protect themselves.

Unable to stand for the violence any longer, Yuugi threw himself in front of Jounouchi when he had a chance. "Stop!" He shouted, throwing his arms out as though trying to protect the boys.

Ushio seemed humored by Yuugi's actions, and chuckled. "Covering for them? You're a weird kid. Now's the chance for you to get any revenge you want on them for being so mean to you. Hit them!"

But Yuugi wouldn't have it. He shook his head vigorously. "No! I can't do that to my friends, Ushio!"

Jounouchi did a double-take. _Friends…?_ He thought. He bullied Yuugi just the other day, and stole part of his puzzle. In fact, even before then he had been completely rotten. How could Yuugi consider him a friend after what he had done?

Noticing Yuugi's intention, Ushio laughed. "You call these guys your friends?" He asked. "They're bullies that exploited you. They're not friends."

"They're _not_ bullies," Yuugi replied desperately. "Jounouchi just wanted me to be a man!"

Jounouchi's couldn't believe what he was hearing. Even through the ache that ran over his entire body, his attention was now focused on Yuugi's words. _Is he nuts?!_

"Fine," Ushio said, his smug gaze not falling. "By the way, kid, it's time you paid up."

Yuugi blinked silently for a moment. For one, if someone had been humbled, they wouldn't still have an expression like that. Something told him Ushio had more planned than disciplining bullies, and whatever it was he didn't like it.

"My bodyguard fee," Ushio said slowly, clarifying his statement for the dumbounded boy in front of him. "Twenty thousand yen."

Yuugi cried out in complete shock. "Wha-Twenty thousand!?"

"Unless," The older student continued, "You want me to beat them up more."

"No!" Yuugi shouted, quickly regaining his stance. "You've gone too far. If anyone's hurting them in any way, it's me!"

Jounouchi still couldn't believe what he was hearing. Even when he bullied Yuugi around, he would never stand up for himself, but now that Ushio was bullying _them_, Yuugi was standing up for them, even if he had to get some of the treatment himself. _But why…?_

* * *

Yuugi sat quietly in his bedroom, fumbling almost blindly with his puzzle. The day's events made him exceedingly nervous. Twenty thousand yen…he didn't have that kind of money…and there was no telling what Ushio would do if he didn't pay up, though he already had a pretty good idea. Why did he always have to be a pushover?

Ushio had used him from the beginning…it was such a horrible setup! Yuugi had never been taken advantage of like this! He hardly had any money to give Ushio, and there was no way he could…

"…huh?"

Yuugi looked at his hands in slight shock. For some reason, when he had gotten home from school that day, he had unconsciously gone straight to his desk and began working on his puzzle. Perhaps it was a habit of his, which wasn't surprising considering every day for eight years he had done it. What surprised him was that this time, he had nearly solved it.

It was strange…he felt awful, completely miserable in fact…but he also felt that he was finally going to solve the puzzle that night. Shrugging it off, he continued.

_Click. Click._

Yuugi smiled in excitement. If he wasn't wrong, he was only moments away from solving the puzzle. Just one more to make sure…

_Snap._

The boy felt a bright smile crawl up from the depths of his depression. He had finally solved the puzzle at last! All he had to do was put in one more piece! He excitedly reached for the box…the last piece, and then his wish would come true! He would finally get what he always wanted...all he needed was to add the final part...

...but the piece he needed to complete the puzzle wasn't there.

Yuugi blinked in complete disbelief. The piece he needed to finally solve the puzzle and get his wish…it was gone! He slumped back in his chair hopelessly. He had gone so far as to show his best friend Anzu his treasure, and now it would never be complete…

Just then, a thought struck his mind. Perhaps he had dropped the final piece at school somewhere when he was showing Anzu...? Without a second thought, Yuugi grabbed his backpack, put on his shoes, and made a mad dash out of the apartment and down the street. _Please, _please_ be at school!_

* * *

"Like I said," Honda replied, shaking his head, "We've got no clue what Yuugi's thinking."

"_I_ said that, not _you_!" Jounouchi said vehemently, rolling his eyes at Honda.

"Doesn't matter who said it," Honda said casually. "All I'm concerned about is what Yuugi's up to. I'm sure it's not bad, but still…"

Jounouchi shook his head. Honda was right; the way Yuugi acted the day before had completely baffled both of them. For a moment, he paused at the sewer canal next to them as Honda kept walking. It was where he had thrown Yuugi's puzzle piece when he was so angry with him. It was strange how the day after that kid had been bullied by those two and his puzzle piece was stolen, he had defended them from Ushio. As Jounouchi pondered a reason why, Yuugi's words echoed in his mind as he looked at it.

_I can't do that to my friends, Ushio!_

Jounouchi thought quietly for a moment…he remembered Yuugi saying something about a treasure when he was talking about the box he was holding. With an oath, he leapt over the edge of the canal and into the water and began wading through, keeping a close eye on the ground in the water below him.

Hearing the splash, Honda spun around and gawked at the sight that he saw. "_Gah!_ What the crap are you doing, Jounouchi!?" Honda watched as he dipped underwater and came back up moments later, holding up a fragment of gold – something he recognized as the puzzle piece Jounouchi had tossed out the window the day before.

"Found it!" his friend cried in triumph, displaying the tiny gold piece like it was worth ten million yen.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Honda tossed a cloth onto him. "I normally handle dirty stuff around school, you know," He paused and winked at his friend, "So you owe me a new towel when you're done!"

Jounouchi, at first confused by Honda's words, didn't take long to figure out the meaning He glared at his friend in minor annoyance. "You cheapskate! That's not fair!"

Honda grinned. How typical of Jounouchi to act like that. When he looked up, however, he noticed Ushio walking nearby. And he wasn't alone. His smile instantly turned into a scowl. "Jounouchi…what's Yuugi doing here?"

Jounouchi, whom was climbing out of the water via the nearby ladder, swept his gaze to his friend immediately. "Yuugi's here?"

Honda nodded. "Yeah…and it looks like Ushio is with him."

The blonde quickly cleaned the golden puzzle piece and looked in the same direction as his brown-haired friend. He had a bad feeling about this. A very, _very_ bad feeling.

* * *

"Had enough, Yuugi?" Ushio asked, somewhat angrily.

Yuugi had tried to avoid anyone if possible, but Ushio had noticed him right at the school gate. He didn't even have the money, and when he told Ushio of the situation, he was dragged off for an "education." In other words, Ushio was beating him up for not bringing the money.

Ushio's fist flew across Yuugi's face again, sending him into the wall before he then sank to the ground in pain. The puzzle, already tied to a rope as though it was a pendant, fell out of his backpack. He had only come to school to look for the missing piece. Instead, he was being bullied by someone whom had claimed to be protecting him.

"U…Ushio…" Yuugi stuttered.

"Fine," The bully snarled, beginning to turn away. "I'll have to teach you another lesson tomorrow if you fail again…"

"Hold it!"

Yuugi didn't have to look up to know who came, but he did anyway (but only barely) and was still surprised. That voice was familiar enough to him. _Jounouchi…? Why's he here?_

"Yuugi," Jounouchi said, for the first time sounding concerned, "You okay?"

After a moment, Yuugi managed to find his voice again. "I asked…the puzzle…for some true friends…" he said absently. Yuugi felt Jounouchi stand still for a moment, then something was pressed into the palm of his hand, and Jounouchi closed his fingers around it for him.

"Ushio!" Honda stated, sounding angry for the first time since Yuugi met him, "Until now, I actually respected you, but I guess I was mistaken. You've got no right to treat Yuugi like this."

Ushio gave a quiet "hmph" and turned to face the two other students fully. "You want to pick a fight with me? I guess I'll have to teach you a lesson, too!" The two boys lunged at Ushio, enraged at how he had betrayed Yuugi.

Ushio proved to be more than a match for both of them. Even as they fell, the boys still rose, adamant on getting back at Ushio for what they had done to Yuugi. Honda took a blow to his stomach, and was sent skidding to the ground. Jounouchi took a punch to the face and fell right next to his comrade.

"This is what you get for picking a fight with me," Ushio said, beginning to walk off. He laughed, striding away with smug victory the only thing on his mind.

Yuugi barely had the strength to move. Looking up, he knew Jounouchi and Honda would not be woken up after taking such a beating. He then remembered what Jounouchi had done; he had put something in his hand. When he opened it, his eyes widened at what he saw.

It was the missing piece to his puzzle.

With all the strength he could muster, Yuugi reached for his puzzle and slipped the final piece in. He had done it. He had solved the puzzle after eight futile years. Now, his wish would finally come true…

_I only wished for friends…someone who would never betray me no matter what…_

As the piece clicked into place, the puzzle began to pulse mysteriously. Yuugi's eyes widened in surprise as he felt _something_ shift. The last thing he saw was a blinding flash of light…

* * *

_So…it's time for a game._

Ushio felt an eerie breeze against his back. He spun around to see whose voice he had heard, but before he could react, he found himself tied to a rope, dangling from the top of the building he had been standing near just moments before. Before he could fall, he grabbed the rope, doing his best not to look below him. He never really had a fondness of heights. "Who's there?!" He demanded.

What he saw he did not expect. At first, it was just a dark figure standing above him. But from a strange pendant dangling from the person's neck came a strange golden light, and with that light came the voice's identity…a very, _very_ familiar boy. The boy smirked. "Hello, Ushio."

Sure enough, there stood Yuugi Mutou, the little boy he had just bullied…but no, it couldn't be him! How was this Yuugi? His aura…it seemed more confident than before…and incredibly sinister. Even his stance had drastically changed. "What the…what the hell are you doing _here_?!"

The reply was simple, and Yuugi's dark smirk didn't even fade. "I brought you what you asked for."

Ushio's mood completely changed. "Ah, you brought it?" He asked happily. "If you had spoken up earlier I wouldn't have had to beat you up like that. Hand it over!"

"How boring."

Ushio blinked. "Wha-?!"

The smirk crept further up Yuugi's visage. "Just giving it to you…that's not any fun at all. No…how about we play a little game?"

"Game?" Ushio echoed.

"But not just any game," Yuugi replied. "It will be a Shadow Game."

Ushio laughed. "I haven't lost at a single game in my entire life. Shadow Game or no, I'll take you on!"

Yuugi looked highly amused. "Very well. Let's get started!" He leapt from his spot, in his hand a deck of playing cards that he spread in a smooth line down the dome. As he lowered equal to Ushio's level, a rope whipped into place. "The rules are simple," He began, "We take turns drawing cards from the line. You go up the number of steps indicated on the card. Your opponent, however, goes down. Whoever reaches the top wins the prize, in this case the money."

"Simple enough! I'll go first." Ushio drew a card. "Ten of Diamonds…looks like the odds are already in my favor!" He said in hopes of taunting Yuugi, and he climed.

Yuugi didn't lose his smirk as Ushio ascended. He drew a card. "A ten."

"_What_?!"

Yuugi deftly climbed back up. The game continued fiercely, with Ushio's glare becoming more and more intense. He had to win that money, but this was only a game of chance, or it seemed so far. He reached for a card and drew. "Two of spades!" He cried.

"We can't have that, now," Yuugi replied, as though he had done this all his life. He drew a card and showed it to his opponent. "Queen of Spades." He climbed.

But Ushio wasn't giving up, either. He did his best to keep a stern gaze as he drew turn after turn. Unfortunately for him, however, it wasn't long before he was dangling at the bottom of the dome. Doing his best to not look down, Ushio clung to the rope he was tied to desperately. Yuugi was high on the dome, almost to the prize.

"What's wrong, Ushio?" The boy taunted, his expression unchanging. "Running out of cards to draw?"

Ushio was furious. How could that little shrimp be taunting him?! He reached for the nearest card to him. "Shut up! The next card I draw is going to turn this…what?"

Yuugi grinned, knowing exactly what Ushio had drawn. "Too bad, Ushio. Joker is a miss in this game."

"_What?!_" The bully shouted, incredulous that Yuugi could see what was in his hand. "You fixed this from the beginning, didn't you? Don't screw with me, punk!"

Yuugi ignored him and drew his final card, an Ace of Diamonds. "Looks like I win."

"_Shut up!_" Ushio shouted as he began scrambling up the side of the building, his face etched deeply in a malevolent, greedy smirk.

Yuugi lifted an eyebrow, frowning at his adversary in somewhat mild disappointment. "Breaking the rules?" He inquired calmly. "If you cheat, you'll face a penalty, you know."

"I said _shut up_, you brat!" Ushio swiped his hand, sending Yuugi falling swiftly down the dome.

Yuugi just chuckled darkly. "I knew you couldn't follow the rules, Ushio."

Ushio barely heard him. He tore the rope in two, sending Yuugi to his doom. Laughing manically, he turned his attention back to the spire. Who needed some stupid game? It was just a waste of time! Now all the money was his! His hands tore the cash from their holding place, his greedy eyes gazing intently upon…

…a deck of playing cards?

_The Door to Darkness has opened._

Ushio had little time to decipher the meaning of Yuugi's words. He felt the spire of the dome snap, and he was sent falling toward the water canal below.

_A Shadow Game shows a person's true character. You will be swallowed by your own greed, Ushio…a fitting punishment for someone like you._

Ushio suddenly wasn't worried. He was only falling toward the water canal, he'd only get wet…but he didn't expect three great, monstrous worms to erupt from the water, their gaping maws open and reaching for him. The last thing he remembered from that night was his own ear-splitting scream…

* * *

Yuugi closed his locker gingerly, and then rubbed his eyes as he yawned. What a weird night…the last thing he remembered from the day before was helplessly watching Jounouchi and Honda being beaten up by Ushio, and he solved his puzzle with that one wish in his heart…and he had awoken in his bed at home, feeling incredibly tired for some reason. People were gossiping about how Ushio was found on the ground the next day in an enormous shock and was rushed to the hospital. His grandfather or maybe a friend of his must have found him and carried him home, but what could have possibly happened to Ushio…?

"Yuugi!"

The boy stopped in his tracks, the puzzle he had solved the night before dangling around his neck. In front of him was a bandaged, bruised, but definitely not broken Jounouchi. In fact, the boy was leaning casually against the wall. Yuugi smiled brightly. "Jounouchi! Good morning! Great to see you're okay."

Jounouchi nodded, smiling oddly. "Yeah, I'm fine. What about you?"

Yuugi nodded, deciding not to bring up the incident from the night before in case it agitated the blonde. "I'm doing great."

"By the way," Jounouchi said, apparently trying to suppress a chuckle and nodding to the puzzle tied around Yuugi's neck, "I'm following your example, so I brought my own treasure today."

"Cool!" Yuugi said eagerly. "Can I see it? Please?"

The blonde snickered at Yuugi's antic, but shook his head. "Sorry, no can-do."

This made Yuugi blink. Jounouchi hadn't seemed like bullying him this morning...what was he up to?

"You can see it, but you can't," Jounouchi continued, "So I can't show it to you!"

Now Yuugi wasn't confused…he was completely dumbfounded. Jounouchi was repeating the riddle he had tried to solve for eight years. "What do you mean?"

"It's friendship," the blonde said at last. "We can see it in each other…but you can't see friendship itself, right?"

Yuugi smiled. His wish really had come true. Jounouchi, on the other hand, was feeling incredibly foolish. His face twisted oddly in a half-grin half-frown, and it began turning red at a considerable pace. He turned away quickly. "A-anyway, class is starting! Let's go before we're late!" He took off running so quickly his sneaker flew completely off his foot. Yuugi followed closely after his friend, but not quite in pursuit.

"Wait up, Jounouchi! Your shoe!"

* * *

WOOT! That was fun.

EDIT NOTES: I had a great time re-writing this, and I really hope it's better...especially if it's got about 2,000 more words... Also, when I wrote about "someone who used to **own** the game shop," I almost wrote "someone who used to **pwn** the game shop" instead. Cracked me up when I envisioned that, but I caught it in time. That would have been funny if I left it in there. I also was about to have Honda and Jounouchi **lunch** at Ushio instead of **lunge** at him. I had a weird picture in my head for that one. XD


	2. Fugitive On The Loose

Whoa, I didn't expect this to get reviews so fast. Thanks for the reviews and favs! Well, here's part two. I would have used some of the other games in the manga, but they didn't seem extremely interesting. Oh, well. Anyone want me to incorporate Miho-chan in some later chapters?

Anyway, I would have been using the manga version of this game, but the anime version has a nice twist in the end, so…here's to. I'll still incorporate some parts of the manga in it. Enjoy.

EDITED MAY 10, 2008

EDIT NOTE: My computer crashed _again_, but this time I was able to salvage everything. This chapter went up by roughly one thousand words, and I hope it was worth it.

**Yu-Gi-Oh**

**The Shadow Games**

**Game Two**

**Fugitive on the Loose**

* * *

That night was more cold and dark than any other in the Domino City prison. In a small cell, a young man known as Tetsu scowled, glaring at a crack in the wall next to him as if it were the cause of all his problems. The police were making such a big deal about Jirou (a.k.a. The Yellow Spider) breaking out that no one ever seemed to pay much attention to him. The vowed that night that he would break out.

Using a small pin, Tetsu easily broke out of his cell. As a policeman passed by his door, Tetsu hit him on the head harshly with a cludgel and dragged him into his own cell, where he stole the man's clothing and swapped it. With that he passed outside and got into a police car just as the alarm for the prison began sounding, sending the guards into a frenzy.

"The prisoner has escaped!"

"Where is he?!"

"He is armed with a pistol, and highly dangerous! Alert the D-C-P-D!Repeat, alert the D-C-P-D!"

"The fugitive's name is Tasaki Tetsu, also known as Tetsu the Hedgehog…"

Tetsu grinned victoriously under his disguise, muttering to no one in particular, "Next time, call me the Master of Disguise, please…"

* * *

Breakfast that morning was a lot more cheerful than usual, probably due to Yuugi's triumphant glee on finally completing his beloved puzzle. It hadn't been just that morning; he had been feeling completely wonderful all the time lately. His wish on the puzzle had really come true. Perhaps it was the joy of finally completing the puzzle after eight years that had made him feel more energetic, but he never pondered the issue.

Sugoroku, on the other hand, was still somewhat suspicious. He was having a hard time believing Yuugi until the boy had shown him his accomplishment firsthand. It was almost unbelievable to him; since it had been discovered decades ago no one had ever solved it. He still clearly remembered setting up the game shop and finding a cloud of dust in one corner where seven-year-old Yuugi (1) had found the golden box. Upon discovering it, he had quickly gone up to his room and carefully cleaned off all of the excess dirt that was caked into the box before exploring it further. Since then the boy had worked on the puzzle every night of his life, and after a few months it had become a habit for him to work on it every night without fail; he even brought it with him on vacations, always careful to make sure it was still intact.

Ridding his mind of the thought, Sugoroku placed the puzzle back in front of his grandson, pressing his hand to the boy's forehead. Yuugi paused, his fork still in his food, and he gave a confused stare to his grandfather. "Is something wrong, grandpa?"

Sugoroku shook his head. "I was going to ask you the same thing," he stated. "You don't feel any different, do you? Like you're smarter or more powerful all of the sudden?"

Yuugi shook his head. "Not really, why?"

The old man picked up the golden box. "Don't you remember these hieroglyphics?"

It didn't take long for Yuugi to remember. They had stated something about granting dark knowledge and power. Happily, he nodded. "Yeah! My wish came true, grandpa! I made some friends!"

Sugoroku cocked an eyebrow curiously. It was like Yuugi to be so humble with something like this, but he still felt suspicious. He knew nothing of what the puzzle had promised, but he definitely hoped nothing bad would happen.

Yuugi was off to school in a much more cheerful mood than ever before. As Sugoroku watched him leave, however, he made a silent prayer that nothing terrible would happen.

* * *

When school finally ended, Jounouchi leaned back against his desk. "About time the final bell rang," he said absently. "Wanna stop anywhere on the way home, Yuugi?"

Yuugi, whom had been packing his backpack, turned to his friend and nodded eagerly. "Well, I heard this new restaurant called Burger World opened last week. We can go there and get some lunch."

"Sounds like fun," Honda stated. "Count me in, too!"

"Actually…"

Jounouchi and Yuugi turned to see Anzu looking at them with a strangely twisted smile. While the blonde knew she was nervous, Yuugi simly smiled cheerfully. "You wanna come with us, too?"

Anzu's eyes widened as though she had seen a ghost. "No way! I heard the food was terrible! On the opening, people got sick as parrots! Besides, we're not supposed to stop anywhere on the way school, remember?"

Yuugi's eyes widened as the memory came back to him. "Oh, yeah! That criminal is on the loose, right? The whole town is in a panic over that."

"What are you, scared?" Jounouchi said, smirking at his friend playfully. "You still don't have any guys, Yuugi."

"He's got a pistol though," Honda protested, glancing up from his backpack as he stuffed his notebooks in it.

Jounouchi paused and watched the doorway just as Anzu left the room, a strange look of relief crossing her face. Once he was sure the brunette was out of earshot, he turned to his other two friends. "Hey, guys," he said somewhat quietly, just in case. "Is it just me or has Anzu been acting odd lately?"

Yuugi nodded. "Now that you mention it, we haven't walked home together for a while."

"I have a hunch," Jounouchi paused for a dramatic effect, "That she's taken up being a date-for-hire(2)…"

"Jounouchi!" Honda exclaimed, furiously glaring at his friend. "Quit being so peverted!"

Yuugi, whom had gawked at the suggestion, quickly regained his composure. "Yeah! Anzu would never do anything like _that_!"

Jounouchi simply gave his friend a sly look. "Are you sure about that, Yuugi? Your face is red."

"No it's not!" the younger boy weakly protested.

"Would you two quit picking on each other?" Honda said. "The only way we're going to find out the truth is to follow her."

The other two boys agreed. Yuugi personally didn't like it, but he had a bad feeling about this. He didn't exactly conform with spying, but he wanted to make sure that Anzu was alright.

* * *

The tension…the excitement…it had been far too long since Tetsu had felt it. Squirming with anticipation, he opened the lock to the bank vault, his greedy eyes intent on taking in whatever sight was to behold within. Carefully and quietly, he opened the door so as not to attract attention…

But nothing was inside the vault.

Scowling in shock, Tetsu closed the door and fled the bank. Flipping on the radio in his car as he drove off, he listened to the radio and nearly choked on what he heard.

"_In other news today, a burglar robbed several banks in Domino City. The Jewelry store was also infiltrated, and over thirty gems were found to be missing. Investigators believe that the criminal in question is Tetsu Tasaki…"_

Tetsu cried out. Ever since he began his robberies, he had never stolen a thing; someone was one step ahead of him every time. The time he robbed the jewelry store, he found out that the expensive necklace he had stolen was only a cheap imitation, but he hadn't robbed anything else. As for the banks, he had only broken into one, and that one was the one he had just gone into. What was going on?!

* * *

Yuugi gave an exasperated sigh. It was bad enough that he had to resort to practically stalking his childhood friend, but he would rather not stand for having her in trouble. Jounouchi decided to create "Operation Follow Anzu," and he had reluctantly joined. Honda, however, had stayed behind, claiming he had work to do.

It turned out that Anzu was a difficult person to follow. Once or twice while following her, the duo had some close calls as she had stopped to look behind her for a moment. Those occasions usually resulted in Jounouchi ducking behind a sign of some sort and dragging Yuugi with him. It wasn't long before they rounded the same corner as her, and ended up setting their sights on…

"Wait a minute," Jounouchi muttered, "What's she doing stopping at Burger World?"

"Maybe she's hungry," Yuugi suggested quietly.

"That's not what I meant," the blonde replied, slightly annoyed. "Didn't she say herself that we were forbidden to stop anywhere on the way home because of that criminal?"

Yuugi shrugged. "We can't know for sure yet," he said. "Let's just go inside."

The friends approached the door casually, where it swung open as they approached. A waitress stood before them, striking a quirky pose and smiling happily. "Welcome to Burger World! I'll get you seated in just…?!"

Both the waitress and the two boys paused as they recognized each other. Yuugi blinked in surprise and had to keep himself from gawking. He was glad that there wasn't any trouble, but…what the heck was Anzu doing in _this_ place?

* * *

Tetsu was on the run again. This time, he had been caught, and the inspector of the DCPD was right on his trail. It was hard to run from the middle of the street, so he took his next alternative and ducked into a nearby shop, quickly donning a disguise as he entered.

The inspector hesitated, having lost sight of the criminal. As a next-best guess, he turned to a nearby restaurant, where he saw a pair of doors swinging closed. Someone had to have just walked through them, and he had a pretty good idea of who it was…

* * *

Yuugi felt incredibly guilty. When Anzu had seen their faces, she looked horrified, but she quickly seated them when her boss had come in. Even so, she didn't look too happy. As Yuugi gazed out the window momentarily, however, he blushed; the brunette looked somewhat cute in that waitress uniform.

Moments later, Anzu arrived at their table and set a platter in front of them. "Here's your order, gentlemen!" She said cheerfully, but when Yuugi and Jounouchi caught a look at her face, she was clearly giving them an angry smirk. "Please allow me to give you some of our world-famous ketchup as well!" Anzu did not hesitate to write a message for her friends on their platter using the ketchup:

_Blab and you're dead!_

Yuugi winced fearfully. Anzu, however, quickly changed face since her message had already been relayed via food. "I guess I can't hide this anymore," she told them. "Having a job is against the school rules, but I don't really have much choice."

Jounouchi crossed his arms suspiciously. "We won't tell anyone…but why are you here, anyway?"

Anzu sighed. "Don't laugh, but…I'm saving money to move to America. I want to study dance in New York City. If you tell _anyone…_"

Yuugi seemed a bit surprised by the idea, but Jounouchi just grinned. "You can relax, Anzu. Your secret is safe with us." His expression changed to disappointment. "But how can you serve burgers here by putting ketchup all over them? That's just mean…"

"Relax!" The girl replied as she walked off. "It's on me."

Jounouchi smiled, but it didn't last long when he caught a glance at Yuugi, whom was staring blankly near the entrance of the shop. "Daydreaming again?" He asked.

Yuugi turned back to his friend and shook his head. "No; look up there."

He did. There stood the manager, Anzu, and a uniformed man. After a moment when the stranger showed them a photo of some sort, they stepped behind the counter. Yuugi and Jounouchi exchanged glances and followed them to eavesdrop, leaving their unfinished burgers on the table.

"…escaped convict may be in here?" the manager said. Yuugi's eyes widened, but Jounouchi's narrowed.

The man nodded. "Yes, sir. We received evidence this morning that this area is a focal point for the break-ins, so I've been searching to the best of my ability along with my peers."

"I haven't seen anyone like the person in the photo," Anzu said, "And I've been welcoming customers all day." For a moment, she flicked a glance in Yuugi and Jounouchi's direction, but she said nothing more.

"He's very good at disguising himself," the man said. "As chief inspector, it's been hard for even me to locate him. It's rare to see him out of a disguise to hide behind, but there's one other characteristic to look for."

"We'll do anything we can," the manager said, looking rather worried. "Just let us know."

"He has a pistol," the inspector stated, "So it won't be easy. While escaping, one of the guards was able to hit him on the right calf with his baton hard enough to bruise him. If anyone here has a mark like that, it could be him."

Anzu nodded. "I think I have a way of finding out where he is," she said, casting a glance back out to the counter. "There's a basket of toy cars that we usually give to our younger customers. If someone were to be clumsy enough…" She let the sentence hang, and the manager and inspector nodded. Anzu walked back outside, sending a nod for her eavesdropping friends to follow her.

"Need any help?" Jounouchi asked. "We heard what was going on…"

"If you're feeling up for it," Anzu replied quietly. "All I need you to do is knock that over." She gave a small glance to the basket on the counter nearby and whispered something else. Jounouchi grinned and stood casually at the counter, leaning over it. Anzu tapped him casually on the shoulder, causing the blonde to over-flamboyantly spin around, his arm slamming into the basket and knocking it onto the floor. Dozens of toy cars spilled out, most racing under various tables in the shop.

"Jounouchi!" Anzu said, faking an angry look. She then glanced back at the customers. "We apologize, everyone!" She called before heading forward, dragging a falsely-reluctant Jounouchi to help her.

Yuugi stayed behind and as well out of sight as he could. Everyone seemed so brave; he could never imagine himself doing anything like this.

Anzu encountered a gruff businessman moments later. "Sir, please keep your feet off the table," She said politely. She lifted his pants leg up to see his calf, but did not find anything. Before she could leave, however, she was interrupted.

"The hell do ya think yer doin'?!" The man cried.

The manager rushed forward. "My apologies, sir," He said as politely as he could. "We have an emergency."

"Don't give me that crap!" The man said gruffly. "Messing with a man's resting time, what do you think you're trying to do?!"

The inspector cleared his throat, and showed his badge to the man, whom was immediately silenced. "Everyone," he announced, "Please excuse us. We believe an escaped convict may be here. We must check your legs. The convict supposedly has a bruise on his right calf."

"But he could easily have covered something like that up," Jounouchi said quietly. "Does he have anything else that would give him away?"

"Well," the inspector began, looking at a small notepad with him, "Since this is a restaurant, then this should count…he was admitted to a hospital once when he was still in prison. He seemed to have a strong allergic reaction to eggs."

"Then this'll be easier than I thought," Anzu announced a bit loudly.

"Why's that?" The manager asked.

Anzu shot the manager a sly look. "You of all people should know, right boss? There's plenty of egg in our burger buns!"

At that moment, the inspector glanced around. Quickly noticing a young man in the back of the shop gasping for breath, he walked causally over to him. "Are you feeling all right, sir?"

The customer, however, didn't seem concerned. "Out of my way!" He cried, attempting to shove his way past, but it proved to be futile as his hat and wig fell and the inspector caught him by the arms.

"Tetsu Tasaki, you are under arrest!"

The fugitive didn't seem to be too concerned. "Call an ambulance!" He shouted desperately. "_Please_ call an ambulance! I'm deathly allergic to eggs!"

Anzu smirked. "For a master of disguise," she stated smugly, "You're pretty gullible." When Tetsu looked at her in disbelief, she grinned. "There aren't any eggs in our burger; that was a lie. We use one-hundred percent wheat flour."

It only took a slight moment for Tetsu to realize his folly. With another cry, he raced forward, ramming right into the manager of the shop, when he hesitated for a moment. Yuugi walked forward a few feet to get a good look; the fugitive was staring at the manager's ankle for some reason. At that point, Yuugi suddenly had a very, _very_ bad feeling.

"Get off of that man!" The inspector cried, but Tetsu would not move. As the inspector dragged the fugitive away from the manager, Tetsu grabbed a hold of the manager's shirt in protest. As he was dragged upward, the shirt ripped, revealing a gigantic spider tattoo on the manager's back.

"Jirou, the Yellow Spider?!" Tetsu cried.

The manager, his true identity now exposed, took that as a cue, leaping up and grabbing a pistol from Tetsu's jacket. He then grabbed Anzu and forced his hand over her mouth. "If anyone moves, she dies!"

Yuugi's eyes widened considerably as he noticed Anzu in danger. Everyone else froze on the spot as Jirou smirked back at them. "I was lucky enough to get my face changed with plastic surgery to blend in here. Even in disguise, Tetsu, I knew it was you, so I was always one step ahead of you in your crimes. You were an excellent scapegoat; thank you very much." His gaze once again turned serious as he ordered everyone to get down on the floor. Yuugi was left trembling in absolute terror as he prayed silently for Anzu's safety.

Jirou removed the ribbon from Anzu's hair and tied it around her eyes, a tactic familiar to Yuugi. Some criminals preferred to blindfold their victims, causing them to be so terrified they couldn't even scream. Sitting down at a table with the brunette in tow, Jirou scanned the room for another victim. It didn't take long for him to find one. "You! The little shrimp in the back!"

Yuugi glanced up to find Jirou looking directly at him. Knowing better than to act out of line (though he was also too scared to), he nodded. Jirou smirked. "Get me some smokes and alcohol from the back room, and be quick about it."

Nervously, the boy did as he was told, and returned quickly. Anzu did her best not to move, but it didn't take long for her to figure out whom Jirou was referring to. She had only been working for about fifteen minutes that day, but there was no one else in the restaurant that could be classified as whatever the criminal had said. As the sound of footsteps drew closer, she stood desperately. "Yuugi, is that you? Stay back! Please!"

Jirou, infuriated at Anzu's actions, slapped her across the face. "Shut up!"

Yuugi screamed fearfully as his terror reached its limits. A flash of light filled his vision, and he remembered nothing afterward…

* * *

_Those who harm my friends will be punished…but I prefer to let chance decide that…I guess it's time for a game._

Yuugi set the alcohol and platter gingerly on the table, smirking. "Here you are, sir," he said, sitting casually on the other side of the table from the man.

Jirou angrily glared at the boy. "Who said you could sit with me?!"

"What's wrong?" Yuugi replied, sounding only slightly disappointed. "I thought you might like some company. How about it? Let's play a game."

Anzu paused. She was absolutely sure that Yuugi had been the one that Jirou had chosen…who was this?

"A game, eh?" Jirou replied, a smirk crawling up his face. "I used to gamble a lot, you know. I guess I could spare some time."

"However," Yuugi continued, his smirk unfailing, "This will not be any ordinary game, Jirou. It will be a Shadow Game."

"Shadow Game?" Jirou echoed. "Sounds like fun. What're the rules?"

Jounouchi, whom had crouched nearby, opened his eyes, but didn't move another part of his body. The silence that had suddenly overcome the shop was almost eerie…for some reason he didn't like it. What was going on?

Yuugi cast a very brief glance toward the people on the floor, and turned back to Jirou before he could notice. "The rules are simple. Choose _one_ finger on either of your hands. Once the game starts, that is the _only_ finger you are allowed to move, and you may do anything you wish with it." He narrowed his eyes as though planning something. "Which do you pick?"

Jirou couldn't believe how simple the game sounded. It was as though the boy had put the odds in his favor on purpose. "My left index finger is my choice," he announced. "The one on the gun's trigger!"

This somehow seemed to amuse the boy in front of him. "In that case, I will choose my thumb." He discretely picked up the cigarette lighter.

Jirou chuckled, putting a cigarette in his mouth and beginning to pour himself a drink. This kid was nuts. What could he do with one finger? He didn't even have a gun. Jirou could kill him without even having to cheat.

"Don't forget," Yuugi said carefully, still smirking, "That this is a game where your life is at stake. Any objection?" Yuugi gave a pause, but Jirou only grinned maliciously back at him. He nodded. "Well, if that's the case, then let's go._ Game, start._"

"And now it's game over!" Jirou cried, aiming his gun. He began to laugh insanely, but he paused when he saw what Yuugi did with his own hand…he had turned on a lighter. Lifting an eyebrow, he decided that the kid was only being courteous before accepting his fate. He'd let him light the cigarette, then he could kill him.

But Yuugi was still smiling. "This is your lighter, isn't it?" he asked sarcastically. "I think I'll give it back to you. I'll leave it here." He tilted his hand slightly and the lighter gently slipped from his hand and onto Jirou's…right over the alcohol that was being poured. "I'd like to see you fire your gun now," he said, looking highly amused.

It didn't take long to make heads and tails of anything, and Jirou's eyes widened when he figured out how he had been outsmarted. If he fired the gun, the recoil would tip the lighter over and cause it to fall into his booze…which was already overflowing from his glass into his lap. He had been tricked by a gutless-looking kid whom he thought he could manipulate.

Yuugi took quick note of Jirou's state and grabbed a still-blindfolded Anzu's hand. "Let's go, Anzu."

Jirou was still in a state of shock. If he kept this up, he would lose energy and end up dropping the lighter anyway. Desperate, he dropped his gun and swiped the lighter off of his hand. He then set the lighter aside and put down the bottle of alcohol, reaching for his gun, all the while grinning manically.

_I knew you couldn't follow the rules._

There wasn't a chance for Jirou to aim his gun when the world around him suddenly went completely dark. Before him stood the boy that had challenged him to the game, but he was no longer smirking. Now, he was giving him an intense, furious glare, and a golden, glowing wadjet eye had appeared on his forehead.

_A Shadow Game reveals a person's true nature, which is the only thing this eye can see. For those who attempt to cheat, it is destined to be a game of punishment._

Jirou screamed angrily and attempted to fire his gun at Yuugi. "You bastard!" he screamed, his finger tightening on the trigger. To his surprise, however, the darkness around him grew even darker, and the boy stood still.

_The door to darkness has opened._

Jirou halted, suddenly blinded by a strange light. His hand jerked upward, and his finger impulsively hit the gun's trigger, causing it tofire upward in the air. Green flames came from the end and began to consume the gun, then his arm, and his entire body. He screamed in horror as he started to burn alive…

* * *

The next day, Yuugi and Anzu visited Burger World on their way home, and found an "out of business" sign hanging on the door. This, of course, came to no surprise to either of them.

"Aren't you upset for losing your job?" Yuugi asked.

"Somewhat," Anzu replied. "But if I'm always working, I won't have enough time to spend with you. Besides, the way Jirou started going insane after that whole mess, I wouldn't want to even think about going in there." She looked away absently. _But who was the person that saved me…?_

Jounouchi approached the two from up the street. "You two are late! Your watch behind an hour?"

Anzu laughed. "Sorry about that. Yuugi and I wanted to find out if Burger World was still running."

"I'd be worried if it was," Jounouchi said, half-scowling and half-smirking. He turned to the younger of the two. "Hey, Yuugi. Did you ever see who rescued Anzu yesterday?"

Yuugi either hadn't heard him or didn't know what he was talking about, because he gave his blonde friend a blank look. "What are you talking about?"

Both Jounouchi and Anzu stared at Yuugi as though he had grown a second head. Anzu was the first to speak. "Yuugi, you remember what happened yesterday, don't you?"

Yuugi shook his head. "Not all of it. I remember the mess with Jirou and him blindfolding Anzu, but after that it kind of gets fuzzy…"

"It's probably just shock," Anzu said. "We were lucky to get out alive."

Jounouchi didn't seem to pleased, and kicked a rock as they walked. "I would have seen that person, but that Tetsu guy had his butt in my face."

"Knock it off" Anzu said somewhat sternly. "We're alive, and that's what matters!" As she looked away, her mind wandered back to her curiosity. Who had saved her life, and why was Jirou acting so strangely afterward? After a moment, she set the issue aside. There were other things to worry about.

She never would have guessed that her rescuer was standing right next to her.

* * *

Fun stuff! I liked this game the best, and it was very similar in both the manga and the anime. Hmm, which part shall I do next…

(1) This is assuming that Yugi is 15 years old during the series

(2) Date-For-Hire is a literal translation of "enjokousai", and is a subtle way (euphemism) to say "teenage prostitution," and Anzu was suspected of it in both the manga and the anime. Only Jounouchi would come up with something _that_ peverted.


	3. Mirror Images

Thanks for the reviews! I've decided not to incorporate Miho, though I'd really like to (she's so cute!). Also, I know this doesn't go in order, but I really wanted to get this one out. I wanted to mix elements of the anime and manga into this one, but the anime seemed to fit in better. Enjoy!

EDITED MAY 14, 2008

EDIT NOTE: This chapter was incredibly difficult. O.O I hope it improved enough!

**Yu-Gi-Oh  
The Shadow Games**

**Game Three  
Mirror Images**

* * *

The school needed stricter rules, Chouno had strongly convinced herself of that. The vice principal was such a simple man to persuade in any event, making it so much easier to do whatever she wanted. As she entered the office and gave her greetings, she immediately brought up the subject. "Vice Principal…about my proposal the other day…"

The vice principal of Domino High glanced up at Mrs Chouno from his deskwork. While he was rather surprised to see her, he still kept decent composure. "Yes, what about it.?"

Chouno nodded patiently. "You remember the one, right? The complete ban on personal items and the increase in penalties for those whom disregard the rules."

The vice principal nodded as the memory floated back to him. "Ah, yes, that one." He pressed his fingers together. "There's a bit of controversy about it. The board thinks it may be too strict on the stu-"

"Oh, dear," Chouno said suddenly, leaning over the man's desk and reaching for his collar. "Your necktie is crooked. Here, I'll fix it for you."

After a moment's hesitation, the vice principal turned his gaze from his necktie to the teacher. "Er…thank you, ma'am."

Chouno gazed seductively into the man's eyes. His necktie was fine; she was only using it as an excuse to get up close to him. "We really need to strengthen the rules," she said, her voice somehow slithering through the sweet and cheerful tone she kept. "The students can't be allowed to become distracted from their schoolwork, am I right?"

The vice principal coughed nervously. "I understand ma'am. I'll bring it up in the next school board meeting."

The woman stood erect again, smiling kindly. "Please do, sir!"

As Chouno turned to leave, the vice principal caught her attention once more. "By the way, ma'am, don't you have a marriage interview this weekend?"

Chouno laughed quietly. "That's right, though I wish my mother wouldn't make such a fuss about it." With that she exited, hiding a malicious smirk. Now that the vice principal was helping her with the rule situation, she could finally focus.

* * *

The school bell rang, and once again Yuugi was headed home after a long day. Mrs Chouno had enforced the rules in an extra-strict manner as usual, and many of the students were having a tough time dealing with them. One couldn't even have a simple keychain dangling from their backpack anymore, and Yuugi could no longer bring games to school. Rumors were going around that she was trying to make them even tougher, and the boy had begun to worry about bringing his puzzle to school. For some reason he absolutely hated being separated from it, and that strange, empty feeling would never quite leave him until he had the puzzle back with him again.

Rules and puzzles aside, however, he had quite a bit on his agenda that day.

He, Anzu and a girl named Mayumi were heading to the Mutou's game shop after school. Mayumi had developed a crush on a Jounouchi, much to the surprise of her peers. She wanted to get him a gift, but couldn't think of anything (Jounouchi enjoyed lewd videos, but there was no way they were giving him _that_), so Yuugi was taking her to the game shop to see if his grandfather could help. After all, if there was anything Jounouchi really loved it was games.

"I've got just the thing!" Sugoroku cried, reaching behind the shelf. After a moment, he pulled a small box off of the shelf and blew off the dust (causing Yuugi and his friends to have an awful coughing fit). Uncovering it, Sugoroku revealed a small, blank jigsaw puzzle. "This is how I got your grandma, Yuugi."

Mayumi paused, tilting her head at the object the old man had pulled out. "It's a puzzle," she said, "But why isn't there anything on it?"

Sugoroku grinned proudly. "You write a message of your feelings on it, break it up, and then send it to the person as a gift. They put the puzzle together piece by piece and the message shows up gradually."

Mayumi smiled brightly. "It sounds so romantic!" She exclaimed. "I'll buy it, sir!" With a quick agreement, the girl fished some money from her pocket and handed it to the man. As she accepted the package, a blank look crossed her face.

Sugoroku seemed to catch it right away. "If you're having trouble thinking of a message," he said, "Don't worry too much. Tomorrow is Sunday, so you'll have plenty of time."

* * *

Chouno wasn't exactly in a good mood when she arrived at the school that day, but she had always done a superb job at hiding it (at least in public), and today was no exception. Immediately the next morning, she approached her favorite man's office. "Good morning, vice principal!" she announced cheerfully.

The vice principal bowed politely when he saw Chouno enter his office. "Ah, Mrs Chouno. The situation about the new rules is going quite well. The board has promised to think about it more."

The teacher smiled sweetly. "Is that so?" She asked. "How wonderful!"

The man nodded, and then changed face, attempting to start conversation. "By the way, Chouno…how did your marriage interview go?"

Chouno hesitated, for a moment, but finally managed to force out a nervous laugh. "Ah, he simply wasn't for me!" She said. "I'll have to find someone else. Pardon me sir…" She made straight for the teacher's bathroom.

The vice principal sighed. Chouno had always been happy, but today something just seemed a tad odd.

Chouno, in truth, was _far_ from happy. She slammed her tightly-clenched fist into the mirror in the teacher's bathroom. The previous day had been horrible. A child had run into her and she had lost her temper and yelled at him. The man she had been with had done her in instead of letting her do the dirty work. It made her incredibly infuriated. Marriage interviews were her hobby! She took great pleasure in dumping men! To have someone hurt her pride like that made her so…

When the teacher glanced up in the mirror, she had a moment of panic before re-applying her makeup. All of the stress she was facing was making it run. Smiling slyly, she decided to find a way to relieve the stress. As the bell rang and she picked up her bag, she had a pretty good idea how.

* * *

"You finished it last night?" Anzu exclaimed as Mayumi approached that Monday.

Mayumi smiled in response. "Yeah. I gift wrapped it, too! It took me all day to find out what to write…" She pulled the gift out of her bag. Sure enough, it was carefully wrapped in violet paper, and a dark crimson ribbon tied it closed.

"You did a great job wrapping it!" Yuugi said, eyeing the package in awe. It was well-done indeed, though it closely resembled a Valentine 's Day gift rather than a spontaneous one.

"I agree," Anzu began, "But how are we supposed to give this to him?"

Mayumi paused for a moment, thinking. "We can sneak it into his desk," she replied after a few seconds, "But what are we going to do if he takes it out in front of everyone? You know how some teachers get…"

"I can take him somewhere if that happens," Yuugi quickly suggested. "He's my friend, so he'll listen to me."

The plan was set, and Mayumi slipped the package into Jounouchi's desk. They instantly took their seats and awaited the class to start. As students entered, the three grew more and more anxious when none of the students was whom they were looking for.

It turned out that Jounouchi was late to class once again. He walked through at the last minute with a huge yawn, but Anzu gave him no sympathy for being late. "You're late, Jounouchi! Hurry up before the teacher gets here."

"I'm coming, geez…" Jounouchi swiftly entered and closed the door behind him and took his seat. "I was up all night watching this awesome movie…"

Honda gave his blonde-haired friend a sly look. "You weren't up watching porn again, were you?"

"Shaddup! It was a Hong Kong action movie!"

Before the argument could continue, Mrs. Chouno entered the room. After the initial bow from the class to begin the lesson, the teacher pulled out a book. "Please open your textbooks to chapter five, everyone!"

Jounouchi smirked inwardly. While everyone else usually kept their textbooks with them, he kept his in his desk all year. When he reached for the book in question, however, his hand struck something else instead. As he pulled it out, he found a strangely wrapped box in his desk.

Mayumi, whom was on the other side of the room, winced. Anzu, however, sent a glare in the boy's direction. Their intent was innocent enough, but only Jounouchi could mess up something like this.

Before he could hide it, however, Chouno was already headed his way. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" She put her hands on her hips in mock disappointment. "Is that your lunch box, Jounouchi? It certainly is a nice looking one."

The class laughed (except for the few people caught up in the mess of the gift). Yuugi thought he caught a glint of mischievousness in Chounou's eye. Jounouchi, though he wasn't one of the laughing crowd, shrugged. "It's not mine," he said. "Someone probably left it here by mistake."

"Not yours, you say?" Chouno echoed, taking the package to the front of the class. "It's strictly against the rules to bring unrelated objects to class. Please tell us what this is, Jounouchi."

Jounouchi shook his head. "Like I said, I don't know what it is. It's not mine."

"Well, then," Chouno began, "If it's not yours, then we'll just have to find out whose it is!" With that, she tore the wrapping paper from the box and opened it, causing a few small, white puzzle pieces to fall out. Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw them. "A jigsaw puzzle!" She exclaimed mockingly to the class. "You can't bring something like _this_ to school, it's far too distracting!"

Anzu, Yuugi and Mayumi gazed on in horror as the teacher began putting the puzzle together. Jounouchi was staring blankly, and Honda was almost as confused as his blonde-haired friend. As the pieces came together, the trio involved with the mess became increasingly nervous. "Well, what do we have here?" Chouno began. "There's a message written on the puzzle! 'You have been on my mind ever since I met you…' Oh, how sweet! A love confession!"

As most of the class erupted into laughter, Mayumi hung her head sheepishly. Yuugi did his best to spare her a glance, but something kept his eyes locked onto Mrs. Chouno, as though he needed to closely study the situation. He quickly noticed that Chouno seemed to be having fun with this punishment. "It is against the rules to bring such things like this to class, and this could be grounds for expulsion. Let's find who the owner is, shall we?"

"Please stop, ma'am."

All heads turned to Anzu, whom had stood up. Chouno seemed somewhat surprised, and Yuugi had noticed some of that mischievous glint vanish from her eye. "Is something wrong, Masaki?"

"Yes, ma'am. That's a letter. I think it's inconsiderate to read someone else's letter."

"Inconsiderate?" Chouno echoed, smiling again. "I understand where you're coming from, Masaki, but as a teacher I must find out who brought this to school!"

Anzu didn't even hesitate when she spoke her next sentence. "Mrs. Chouno, the puzzle belongs to me."

Yuugi's eyes widened in shock. Anzu would do such a thing to keep Mayumi out of trouble? He could see her intent, however: this way, Mayumi would stay out of trouble and she could simply joke the whole thing off with Jounouchi.

"Is that so?" Chouno replied. "Then, if that is the case, please see me in my office following class, Masaki."

Anzu sat down, still looking confident. Mayumi was shocked, and Honda simply blinked in surprise alongside Jounouchi. Yuugi, however, had a very, _very_ bad feeling about this.

* * *

After class, Yuugi wanted to have joined Anzu in the office, but Anzu had him stay outside. He nervously waited for her return, and when she finally did exit she did not seem too terribly upset. In fact, she had the puzzle in her hands and promptly gave it back to Mayumi.

"Anzu," Mayumi said, hesitating. "I'm sorry…this is all my fault…"

But the brunette shook her head. "It's okay. I actually got to talk to Chouno about the rules. She said if I can get a good petition started, then the rules can be changed with enough signatures."

"A petition…" Yuugi echoed. "Are you sure that'll work?"

Anzu smiled confidently. "Mrs. Chouno suggested it in the first place, so I'm pretty sure it's a good idea. She said that if I get enough people to sign one, then she'd be willing to bring it up in the next school board meeting."

* * *

Chouno was not willing at all to bring up the matter of less strict rules at the meeting. Instead, she walked in looking exceedingly stressed out. When everyone asked her why, she quickly explained the situation at hand in her usual seductive manner.

"I had a bit of a problem with Anzu Masaki," she began. "She deliberately brought an unrelated item to class just the other day."

One of the members of the board seemed doubtful. "Are you sure you're talking about Anzu Masaki?"

"Yes," Chouno replied, nodding as though to confirm it. "She didn't show any guilt whatsoever for her actions and had quite an attitude. She met with me in my office after class and said something about getting rid of all the rules…"

Another of the men shook his head. "I'm sure she's not like that," he replied. "In my years of teaching her, she's never acted like that."

The first man seemed to ignore his peer's comment. "What was this about her concern for the rules, Chouno?"

"Well," Chouno began, "I really want to give the students a say in all of this, but they also need guidance. It will be difficult, but…"

* * *

Yuugi met with Anzu the next morning. She might have acted cheerful and energetic, but Yuugi could clearly tell that she was still considerably tired. Under her arms were a good number of posters as well as a small sheet with numerous blanks on it, quite possibly for her petition. Yuugi, Jounouchi and Honda aided her in hanging the posters around school, and later she stood back to admire her work at the front door.

"Are you sure you're going to make it, Anzu?" Yuugi later asked. "You seem worn out…"

Anzu nodded confidently. "Of course. If they get rod of some of the really tough rules, I can get a job again. What do you guys think?"

Jounouchi shook his head. "To be honest, I'd rather not have any rules."

"You never liked the concept of rules in the first place," Anzu replied. "But I'm sure plenty of people will agree with me."

By the end of the day, however, things turned out to be quite the opposite of what Anzu had planned. Each and every poster had graffiti over it protesting not the rules, but Anzu's petition. Anzu, however, was not deterred, and simply took them down and decided to remake them.

Later that day, Anzu was having a tough time dealing with her lessons as well. Teachers were giving her very difficult assignments, making it difficult for her to focus on her petition. After her class ended, Anzu and Yuugi went right back to dealing with the posters when Honda and Jounouchi passed by. "Still at it?" the blonde asked.

Anzu nodded eagerly. "Yeah. We haven't gathered any yet…"

"I'm not surprised," Honda replied, "Especially with the rumor that's going around."

"Rumor?" Anzu echoed. "What kind of rumor?"

Honda sighed. "Apparently anyone who signs your petition gets a bad reputation with the teachers."

Everyone paused that moment, especially Yuugi. Something told him this wasn't right…or rather, this normally wouldn't be. Chouno probably had something to do with this, he just knew it.

Anzu was still not deterred. "That may be true," she said, "But I'm sure the teachers will change their minds if I get enough signatures!"

* * *

The next morning, Anzu and Yuugi stood at the entrance of school side-by-side, welcoming the students that entered and asking them to sign the petition. Honda and Jounouchi were standing nearby, observing and admiring the girl's hard work. It wasn't long before a trio of students showed their interest.

Unfortunately, the only interest they showed was in ruining Anzu's hard work.

"Why would anyone want to sign that piece of junk?" One of the students told her. "The rules are fine the way they are."

Another one nodded. "Yeah. Besides, the teachers would just target you if you did."

Anzu shook her head. "If you don't want to sign it, then that's fine, but that gives you no right to bully us around!"

The boys ignored her, and one snatched the clipboard from Anzu's hands. He looked over it mockingly and waved it around. "Well, lookie here! No one's signed it! How pathetic!"

"Give it back!" Yuugi cried desperately, only to be pushed to the ground to one of the bullies and ignored. The trio laughed, and the one with the clipboard proceeded to rip the empty pages into shreds, much to the shock and astonishment of Yuugi and Anzu.

"Leave them alone!" Jounouchi cried, striding up to the bullies quite confidently.

The trio glared at the blonde. "Aren't you the kid that got in trouble for having that puzzle in class? What a rule-breaking moron…"

"You're nothing but a _coward_ for ruining Anzu's hard work!" Jounouchi shot back, angrily winding up a fist and ignoring Yuugi's protest to restrain himself. "I can't forgive you for that!"

* * *

Jounouchi didn't regret his actions - he had been avenging Anzu - but he was still upset with all the trouble that followed. One of the teachers had found him, which found him, Yuugi and Anzu in Chouno's office (technically Yuugi should not have been involved, but he insisted on coming).

"Violence at school is a major rule violation!" Chouno said sternly, her fake smile somehow still in place. Yuugi, Anzu and Jounouchi sat at the table quietly in silent guilt. "It doesn't matter what the reason, Jounouchi should not have struck them."

"It's not Jounouchi's fault," Anzu protested, grabbing both Chouno's and Jounouchi's attention.

"That's right," Chouno replied, sarcasm dripping from her sweet-sounding voice. "It's really your fault, isn't it?" At Anzu's hesitation, Yuugi could almost hear Chouno laughing. "There's no need to change the rules after all. There are countless students opposing you saying that the rules are fine. Masaki, you will most likely be expelled for this."

Everyone's faces lit up with shock, especially Anzu. Yuugi, however sat frozen in his seat, his face blank with disbelief. _Anzu? Expelled…?!_

Chouno quickly dismissed them from her office, almost angrily. As they exited, they found the trio of bullies standing proudly outside. "You three finally made it," Chouno said when she noticed them. "Come in."

They did, and the teacher returned her gaze to Anzu. "Once I finish my report, I'll have the staff decide on your punishment." With that, she turned away.

Jounouchi scowled and took off, Honda in hot pursuit. Anzu gazed wearily at the ground. "I just wanted the rules to ease up a bit," she muttered aloud, walking off looking incredibly hurt. Yuugi watched her disappear down the hallway, but couldn't bring himself to follow. It was too much for him to accept. Anzu had done nothing wrong, so why was she being given such a rough treatment?

It was then that he caught ear of what was going on in Chouno's office.

"…can't refuse a request from Mrs. Chouno."'

_A request…?_ Yuugi secretly peered into the office, keeping his distance but listening as closely as possible.

"Of course," he heard Chouno reply, sounding exceedingly cheerful and sly. "I will erase all rule-breaking records from your files as payment for helping me with this, but don't press your luck, you three."

Yuugi's eyes widened. How cruel! The teacher used them to bully everyone into not listening! How could she…no…how could _anyone _do something like that?! Anzu had such innocent intent, and now to be punished wrongfully…it was just too terrible!

The last thing that he remembered from that evening was a flash of light…

* * *

Chouno strode happily down the hallway. The pleasure of it all…she loved watching the students struggle against such tight restrictions just as she loved dumping men in her marriage interviews. Everything had gone according to her plan, and that pesky girl was no longer in her way. She couldn't let Anzu get in her way…no, she'd expel anyone that hindered her!

But before she could continue, she noticed someone leaning against the wall in front of her in the hallway. He had a smug smirk on his face, and seemed as though he had been expecting her. What was strange was that he looked very familiar… "It's time for a game, Chouno."

If anything could ever catch Chouno by even slight surprise, it was a student that didn't address her with respect. She paused momentarily and turned toward the boy, whom continued. "If I win, Anzu and her friends don't get punished."

Chouno immediately decided to ignore the boy and continue. Whoever he was, he obviously knew about Anzu's situation, and was undoubtedly scheming against her. She smiled sweetly. "I don't have time for games, little boy."

"And if you win, I won't tell anyone that you had those bullies doing your dirty work…"

_That_ made Chouno stop. This boy was definitely scheming; there was no doubt about it now. "What are you talking about?" She inquired innocently.

The boy continued. "…and on top of that, I'll do anything you say."

It only took a moment for Chouno to recognize the boy. It was Yuugi Mutou, the boy that had helped Anzu whenever she was doing that senseless petition to ease up the rules. Chouno laughed. "You plan to cause a rebellion toward a teacher? You know perfectly well I'd expel you for that threat alone if you lose!"

Yuugi grinned. "Of course. Are you up for it or not?"

It was all too appealing, and Chouno wouldn't dare to pass up such a great opportunity to torment a student. The boy led her right back into her office, and they sat on either side of the table there. She didn't even have to ask for an explanation of the rules; he seemed to read her mind.

"It's simple," Yuugi began. "It's like a jigsaw puzzle…but we'll be using a mirror." Whe Chouno inquired, Yuugi threw two small, square mirrors into the air. One landed in front of him, and one in front of Chouno. Both shattered into fragments. "Whoever puts theirs together first wins."

Chouno glanced warily at the mirror in front of her. "That's easy enough. Is there some sort of catch?"

"Yes," Yuugi replied, tossing a dark, violet scarf toward the teacher. "We will be blindfolded."

Chouno paused for a moment. Doing a jigsaw puzzle blindfolded was difficult, but putting together a shattered mirror was even more difficult. After she tied her scarf on over her eyes (making sure Yuugi did so as well, which he did), Yuugi announced them to start and they did. Chouno reached down in attempt to move the glass when she felt something else land on her side of the table, which she identified as a pair of gloves when she picked them up. "You should use these, ma'am," She heard Yuugi say. "Be careful; this game is much more dangerous than you think."

The comment made Chouno think for a moment, but she quickly dismissed the foreboding feeling she had. What a brat this Yuugi was. There was no referee; she could take off her blindfold and he would never know. Doing so, she continued her puzzle, which she found to be much easier with her sense of sight intact.

"By the way," Yuugi said suddenly, "I forgot to mention something. This is a Shadow Game. If you break the rules, you will face a strong punishment."

"Is that right?" Chouno replied, glaring at the boy while still upholding her sweet tone of voice. This boy was so foolish…how could he know that she was cheating? As the thought came to her mind, however, she felt a sinister feeling creeping around her.

Yuugi grinned at her. "How are you doing on your puzzle?" He asked casually, his voice still dark. "I'm already half-done."

Chouno had to take back her comment. This boy was definitely clever…but she still had to play her part. "I'm not sure," She replied. "You seem to be doing so well. I just might lose!" She gave a quiet snicker. This puzzle was so simple when done normally. It didn't matter what this boy was playing at; she was still the higher authority. She could do whatever she wanted with him when she finished. Picking up one last piece, she slid it into place to complete her puzzle.

_The door to darkness has opened._

Taken aback slightly, Chouno looked up at the boy across the table. She got a strong impression that he was glaring daggers at her, even though he was blindfolded. Unknown to her, her face gradually began to crack in a jigsaw-like pattern. "Chouno," Yuugi began, his voice clearly infuriated yet quiet, "You abused your authority to harm Anzu and her friends." As Chouno quietly gasped in astonishment, Yuugi stood angrily. "You only pretend to be a kind and caring person," he said, his voice more sinister than ever. "Under that mask you wear, you hide your true and hideous self."

Chouno's eyes widened. How did this boy know? She was too astonished to protest against his words. Even if she punished him, he could still expose her. A glowing, golden eye appeared on Yuugi's forehead, piercing the woman's soul as he continued to speak. "Just as that mirror reflects your face, the pain you have given others will be reflected right back to you!"

The makeup on Chouno's face shattered off, revealing her old and wrinkled visage. A quick glance in the mirror silenced any protest Chouno would have given, and she took off, sobbing in horror. Once she was gone, Yuugi's blindfold fell, and he smirked.

_I told you, Chouno…if you break the rules, you will be punished._

Before he left, Yuugi cast a stray glance into the mirror in front of him. It reflected the image of his own true face.

* * *

"Chouno didn't say anything?" Jounouchi asked the next day as the friends hung out on the rooftop.

Yuugi nodded in agreement with Jounouchi. "Yeah. I went to her office this morning to ask her about it but she told me to leave when she saw me…she looked upset over something."

"Really?" Honda replied, leaning back and relaxing. "If that's the case, then I guess she's letting us go free."

"Hey, Anzu," Jounouchi began, casting his brunette friend a half-glare, "What was the deal with that puzzle in my desk?"

"Just a prank!" Anzu said quickly, smiling. Mayumi had confessed her love to someone else, so she couldn't reveal the truth to Jounouchi either way now.

For a moment, Jounouchi didn't seem to buy it, but he quickly shrugged it off. "Whatever," he said, starting to laugh. "There's a new rumor going around. Apparently, Chouno can't keep her makeup on very well anymore."

"She wears way too much of it," Honda replied. "There's more of it than skin on her face." He turned toward the younger friend of the group. "By the way, Yuugi, where were you all last night? We didn't see you walk home after Chouno's meeting with Anzu."

Yuugi paused, a bit taken by surprise. "You didn't?"

Anzu shook her head. "Nope. We looked for you everywhere; we even went back to Chouno's office."

Yuugi tilted his head innocently. "I could have sworn I went home on time…"

Of course, he had left out some major details. For one, he had remembered listening in on Chouno's speech with the three bullies, and next thing he knew he had found himself looking at a shattered mirror that was half-way put together. There was one fully assembled on the other side of the table, but there were jigsaw puzzle pieces all over it (very oily ones). On both sides there was one odd violet scarf each, and for some strange reason, Yuugi had found himself wearing an odd pair of gloves.

But Anzu had looked for him and had gone back to where Chouno had been…he was definitely there, so how had she missed him?

"At any rate," Honda announced, interrupting Yuugi's thoughts, "Where do you want to go after school today, everyone? I hear a new arcade opened up recently…"

* * *

Wooo that was a fun chapter! Chouno was hard to write. What do you guys think?


	4. Clockwork Theft

This one is a bit different…I had fun with it, either way.

EDITED MAY 16, 2008

EDIT NOTE: How incredibly, incredibly hard this chapter was. I hope it's alright. I might have missed a divider or two...

**Yu-Gi-Oh  
The Shadow Games**

**Game Four  
Clockwork Theft**

* * *

Shoutarou gazed at the wall with a large grin on his face. Countless wristwatches lined his wall on every single shelf. His smirk grew as he looked over them. Behind him, his mother shouted from beyond his locked door. She seemed worried about him, but the young man paid no heed to her voice. He lifted a watch to his eyes. Across the top of the face, the words "D-SHOCK" were engraved in the plastic. The watch he held, in his opinion, was the best one of them all.

He then glanced at the paper next to him. A sale on limited edition D-SHOCK watches was happening on Monday in the accessory store on Senet Street(1). He had just enough money to buy one…

* * *

The next morning was a strange one for the Mutous. It might have been Sunday, but Yuugi seemed busier than he would on a typical school day. "I have to go now, Grandpa!" He shouted as he raced for the door.

"Yuugi, wait!" Sugoroku cried in desperate attempt to catch his grandson's attention.

Yuugi turned back to face his grandfather. A large slice of bread protruded from his mouth, as he had not finished breakfast yet. "What, Grandpa?" he said with his mouth full.

Sugoroku threw his hands in the air incredulously. "Don't 'what, Grandpa' me! It's not good for you to run off into town before eating properly!"

"But if I'm late, everyone will be upset!" Yuugi protested. "I'll be back later! See you soon!"

Sugoroku again attempted to stop his grandson, but Yuugi was already out the door and charging down the street like a stampeding bull. He cocked his head to one side and grinned. "Everyone…" he repeated. He could hardly believe what he had heard. Yuugi used to spend his days alone at home most of the time, but now he was always so excited to come home and tell his grandfather what he had done with his friends every day. It was great that he had friends now, but for some reason he felt worried.

* * *

Honda felt his eye twitching. Being in line on time for this sale was a pain, but there were only a limited number of those watches on sale…it was a perfect gift for his cousin. He was almost to the door, anyway…how could he give up now? Even so, he really needed to…if he didn't…he'd…

"Hi, Honda!" Yuugi said suddenly, catching his friend's attention. "What're you up to?"

Honda's eyes widened. "Ah, Yuugi! Perfect timing. Could you do me a favor?"

Yuugi, whom was always too kind to turn down a friend in need, ended up saving Honda's place in line while his friend scurried off to a nearby convenience store. A few bills in hand, the boy patiently moved forward in the line as it advanced. It didn't take long before he was standing in front of the counter. It turned out that it was lucky for Yuugi to come along when he did, as the last specialty item was sold to him. As Yuugi handed over the money to the clerk, the clerk called out to the rest of the people in line, "To everyone else, we're very sorry! The last D-SHOCK watch was just sold! We're all out!"

Many people cried out in surprise…but one young man scowled in anger. How could they all be sold out?! He had waited ages to get one…

As the man quickly accepted Yuugi's payment handed him the watch, which was carefully packed into a small box. "Thank you very much, young man. Please come again!"

As Yuugi began to reach for the box, however, someone else put their hand on it, stopping him. "I'll be taking this one," The stranger said, scowling.

Yuugi stared at the man incredulously. "What are you talking about? I just paid for this…"

"Take a look, kid," the man replied coolly, pulling up his sleeve, revealing a large number of watches all the way up his arm.

The clerk's eyes widened, almost in absolute horror. "Those are…"

The man smirked in confirmation, eager for a chance to brag. "That's right. These are the Swiss Maincha Special Edition wrist watches. My private collection holds every wristwatch ever _made_, and these are only a few." His gaze turned directly to Yuugi, who stared at him wide-eyed. "I am the best wristwatch collector in not only Japan, but the whole world, so I deserve this watch you are holding. Someone like you can't really understand what it means to have something like this…this is something you wouldn't even _wear_."

Yuugi began to protest, but the man grabbed him by the collar and dragged him up close to his face. His scowl grew incredibly intimidating, and Yuugi became so scared he couldn't breathe. "Give it up already! The watch belongs to me!"

"Enough." Someone put their hand on the stranger's shoulder, grabbing his attention.

"Can't you see I'm busy here?" the man said, scowling. Yuugi quickly caught sight of the hand's owner; it was Honda.

Honda didn't move his hand. "I don't know anything about limited edition stuff or collectors, but you don't have any right to rob others."

The man let go of Yuugi to face Honda, and a short silence ensued. It was just enough time for the man behind the counter to begin phoning the police. Upon hearing him, however, the stranger took off in a mad dash to escape.

Honda sighed, his angered expression quickly becoming kind again. "Sorry I took so long. You okay, Yuugi?"

Yuugi nodded, holding up the box to his friend. "Yeah. I got the watch for you."

Honda smiled, accepting the box from his friend. "Thanks, Yuugi. Now come on, let's head to the arcade. Anzu and Jounouchi are waiting for us there."

* * *

Shoutarou scowled. A boy got the watch he'd been after for months…no, he wouldn't have that…he wouldn't allow it! As he stared blankly at the toy machine in front of him, however, he began to pride his decision to follow that boy and his friend to the arcade. Now he'd get what he wanted. All he had to do was make the slip and take it…

As he began to walk away, someone passed him and thumped his arm with a briefcase. Shoutarou's eyes widened, and he angrily called out to the man that nearly damaged one of his precious watches… The man turned to him to see an angry scowl on Shoutarou's face. "Ah, my apologies, sir…" the man said kindly.

But Shoutarou advanced on him. "Sorry isn't going to cut it, pal!" He said angrily, dragging the man to the bathroom and beating him down. "Just be glad you didn't scratch it…otherwise I'd have to kill you!"

The sound of the door opening caught Shoutarou's attention. The brunette boy from the watch shop entered, stretching. "Time for a break I guess," he said aloud to himself. "I don't think I can beat Yuugi in that game anyway…" He slipped off his watch and set it in his back pocket to keep it from getting wet.

Shoutarou grinned, and passed swiftly by the boy, swiping the watch from his back pocket. For someone so worried about his possessions, Honda certainly made them easy to steal.

* * *

When Honda returned from the bathroom, Anzu noticed a change in Honda's attire. "Hey, Honda…why aren't you wearing your watch?"

Honda nodded. "Thanks for reminding me." He reached for his pocket. "I took it off when I washed my hands so it wouldn't get wet…eh?" He began fumbling desperately in his pockets. "No way… It's gone!"

Yuugi looked up immediately from the game he was playing. "Honda…?" He began, but he found himself unable to finish his sentence when a wave of suspicion suddenly passed through his mind.

"I swear I had put it in my back pocket," Honda said, baffled. "I couldn't have left it in the bathroom!"

Shoutarou peered from behind a game machine, smirking. He had pulled it off. It was so much fun seeing the boy act so confused like that. Yuugi, however, quickly noticed the man's face from behind the toy machine. He was easy to recognize, especially after being dragged so close to his face and nearly getting a beating. He had almost stolen the watch when he was in the store…was he back to finish the job?

It wasn't long before everyone had begun searching fervently all over the arcade for the missing item. Honda took to searching the floor and Anzu checked behind the machines. Jounouchi pitched in as well, and Yuugi was able to check some hard-to-reach areas himself. After a good amount of time, however, no progress was made.

"Honda, you should probably just forget about it…" Jounouchi finally said, sighing. "It's probably long gone by now."

"No way!" Honda replied heatedly, as though his life depended on finding the watch. "I bought this as a gift for my cousin! I'm not giving up until I find it!"

Someone stepped on his hand.

"OOOWWWW!"

The man that Yuugi had earlier recognized glanced down at Honda through his glasses. "Whoops!" He said mockingly, "I'm sorry; I thought that was a washcloth."

Honda also recognized him…he was the man that had bullied Yuugi at the store. Before he could speak, Jounouchi grabbed the man's shirt collar. "The hell do you think you're doing, you idiot!?"

"Leave him alone, Jounouchi," Honda said quietly, standing. "If you have enough time to waste with this guy, you should be helping me find that watch." With that, he walked off. The man, eager for a chance to brush off the blonde, grinned and brushed Jounouchi aside. Yuugi kept his eyes on the man; he was heading for a stairwell. Something strongly suggested to him that this man was behind the missing watch. The only problem was that Yuugi had no proof.

A bell promptly began going off. Everyone spun to see Honda lifting up one side of a game machine. While Jounouchi and Anzu ran to confront Honda for upsetting the security guards, Yuugi took advantage of the commotion to get away from everyone and follow the man downstairs.

"Hey! Let go of that!" A security officer yelled, grabbing Honda by the arm.

"Please, let me go!" Honda shouted in protest. "I'm just looking for something I lost!"

"Honda, you moron!" Anzu cried.

Jounouchi winced. "Sir, please let him go…he's looking for a lost wristwatch."

The security guard glanced at Jounouchi. "Is that so?" He asked, a bit more quietly than before. His gaze turned back to Honda. "We'll let you know if we see anything, young man. In the meantime, please don't try to lift up any of the game machines. You may damage them."

Honda hung his head. "Right…sorry, sir." When they released him, he strode just past his friends and paused. "I'm going to check the bathroom again, guys…maybe I left it in there somewhere…"

Anzu and Jounouchi sighed. Poor Honda…he had gone through so much trouble to get a rare gift for his cousin, and now it was gone.

"Hey," Anzu said suddenly, "Has anyone seen Yuugi?"

Jounouchi and Honda exchanged glances.

* * *

Yuugi skidded into the back wall of the supply room. His body ached all over, but he wasn't giving up any time soon. "Please," he pleaded Shoutarou, "Just give it back!"

"It's mine!" The man argued. Before he could protest, Yuugi received another punch to the face. He fell to the ground, unable to move from the pain wracking his body. Shoutarou laughed. "I told you before, kid…this isn't the sort of thing _you_ would wear…but I'm _different_! Just getting my hands on this thing is a victory a punk like you would never understand!" He kicked the kneeling Yuugi in the side, causing him to roll to the side. Yuugi clutched his ribs, groaning in agony. Shoutarou turned away, grinning maliciously.

Yuugi couldn't even open his eyes. He heard Shoutarou walking away step by step. Whether it was from the pain or the thoughts swarming in his mind, that was the last thing Yuugi remembered that night.

* * *

Shoutarou walked away triumphantly, the watch in his hand. He didn't even have to break a sweat. That kid was such a joke. He had a hard time believing that the kid was even in high school. He grabbed the doorknobs, grinning….until he found that the doorknobs were stuck. Incredulous, he attempted again and again to open the door, but to no avail. They weren't moving any time soon.

_It's time for a game._

Shoutarou spun around. The boy he had just beat to a pulp was standing in front of him, smirking. Something had changed indefinitely…he was more confident, more daring…and the aura around him seemed darker than before…sinister, even Shoutarou ran forward, but was stopped with what the boy said next.

"Be careful," The boy said. "It's dangerous in here."

As though on cue, an enormous pendulum swung between them both, just inches from Shoutarou's nose. It was then that he noticed that the whole room had somehow changed into what strongly reminded him of the inside of a clock tower. "What the hell is this?!"

"You're going to play a game with me," the boy demanded, smirking dangerously.

"What?!" Shoutarou cried in response. Was this kid seriously the one he had just beaten up? What gave him the right to be making demands?!

"However," Yuugi continued, interrupting the collector's thoughts, "It will be a Shadow Game. We will be wagering the watch you stole from Honda."

Right on cue, a window opened from the ground and a bird, similar to one of a Kuku clock, shot up from the ground, snatched the watch from Shoutarou's hand, and retreated back into the floor. The collector fell to his knees in disbelief. "No! My D-SHOCK!"

"Is it really _yours_?" Yuugi asked, causing Shoutarou to look at him angrily. How dare this boy doubt him… "If you win this game, however, I will acknowledge that it belongs to you."

Shoutarou scowled. This kid had the nerve to challenge him to a game to get the watch. It didn't matter, though; whether he won or not he could still take the watch himself. What caught his attention, however, was the fact that this kid was confronting him directly about the theft instead of begging for the watch to be returned like before.

Yuugi just smirked. "Well? Do you accept?"

"Don't screw with me, kid!" Shoutarou shouted angrily, "I'll play any game you can dish out!"

"No need to be so upset," Yuugi replied calmly, his smirk not fading in the least. "It's not very difficult. When the game starts, the bird from before will come out of the compartment and the watch will be set to stopwatch mode. Whoever can stop it closest to ten seconds wins."

Shoutarou narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "That's it? It seems too easy."

"However," Yuugi continued, ignoring the man's comment, "If you exceed ten seconds, that pendulum will pass right by the D-SHOCK. You know what will happen if you're too slow…don't you?"

Shoutarou hesitated, swallowing nervously. If he wasn't fast enough to hit the switch, he'd injure his hand in a rather unsightly way. There was also the possibility of being too hasty…

"Whether you do this or not is up to you," Yuugi said, "But if you refuse then you forfeit."

"Don't mock me!" Shoutarou shot back, doing his best to mask his anxiety. "Of course I'll do it!"

"Good choice," Yuugi replied, nodding. "Who goes first?"

"I do!" The collector demanded.

"Understood." Yuugi said, keeping his stern gaze. "Then let's begin. _Game, start._"

The little bird popped out of the compartment. The watch was set in stopwatch mode, just as the boy had said. Shoutarou watched closely. Mere seconds felt as though hours were passing, and the ticking of the stopwatch echoed around the room loudly than it actually would have. As soon as he felt nine seconds come upon him, he lunged forward and snapped the watch to a stop. Just as he pulled his hand away, the pendulum swung past. The time on the watch read 9.34 seconds.

"HAH!" Shoutarou cried pridefully. "How's that?"

Yuugi grinned. "You're good. Now, it's my turn. _Start._"

Just like before, the bird popped out of the ground. Shoutarou grinned. There was no way that boy would be able to beat his time. There was no way this kid could show off the guts he had earlier. He was already grinning in smug victory. However, Yuugi had his eyes closed. What was he doing? Wasn't he even watching the time?

The pendulum began to swing. Yuugi's eyes snapped open, and he reached for the watch, flipping it off and pulling away just before his hand would have been injured. A wind blew as the pendulum passed, causing Yuugi's school jacket to flutter briefly. Even through this, he remained completely calm. The time on the watch astounded Shoutarou. "9.95?!"

"Looks like I win," Yuugi said with a smirk.

But Shoutarou wouldn't have it. "NO!" He protested. "This was just a test. The next one will be the real thing!"

"A test?" Yuugi echoed.

"And this time, we switch sides!"

Yuugi nodded. "Okay." Yuugi strode to the other side. As soon as they were ready, Yuugi muttered, "_Start._"

The bird appeared with the watch just like before. Shoutarou felt smug…he had found Yuugi's strategy. This time, the watch's stop button was on his side. He thought he had to pay attention to the time, but the important thing was the switch. With this advantage, his hand could escape at the last minute. It might be harder with upside-down numbers, but the switch was the important part.

The timer approached nine seconds. Shoutarou reached out to grab it, but paused. A creaking sound reached his ears. The pendulum was coming from the other side this time! He had to move quickly! He jerked his hand, hopefully he'd move fast enough…

A sickening smack resounded around the twisted room. Shoutarou screamed in pain as the pendulum struck the back of his hand and swung back to the other side of the chamber.

"Too bad," Yuugi said quietly. "Looks like I'll be taking this back after all." He reached for the watch, but Shoutarou grabbed his arm him.

"No!" the collector cried desperately. "There's no way I'm giving this up! Forget this stupid game; the D-SHOCK is mine!"

Upon looking at Yuugi, however, he was quickly silenced. An ominous, glowing eye lit up the boy's forehead. "How pathetic," he said quietly and calmly, though a sinister tone filled his voice to the brim. Shoutarou was frozen on the spot, too terrified to even move.

_The Door of Darkness has been opened._

Before Shoutarou could get his answer as to what Yuugi meant, his arm was forced upward. Something didn't feel right. The skin on his hand where the pendulum struck him was torn like paper, and underneath it wasn't flesh or blood…it was a set of clockwork gears! He pulled away his sleeve, and watched in horror as his watches started sinking into his skin. He cried out in agony as the sound of ticking clocks filled his mind. Meanwhile, Yuugi calmly walked off with the G-SHOCK.

* * *

Honda was ecstatic to have the watch back again. "EH?! You found it?!"

Yuugi nodded. "Yeah. It was under the stairs for some reason…"

"Why would it be there?" Honda wondered silently. "I never went near the stairs."

Anzu noticed some scratches on Yuugi's face. "What happened to you, Yuugi?" She asked. "Your face is in terrible shape. You fall down the stairs or something?"

Yuugi laughed sheepishly. "I'd like to joke about it, but I don't remember what happened."

Anzu and Jounouchi seemed very concerned, but Honda didn't seem to be paying one bit of attention. "Thank goodness I have it! I haven't let down my cousin after all! Thank you so much, Yuugi!"

Yuugi scratched his head. He might not have remembered what happened down there, but as long as he had helped his friends, he was alright with that. As they walked out of the arcade that night, he felt something prod at his mind passively as he tried to remember how he found the watch. Shrugging it off, he headed home.

* * *

Another fun chapter! YAY! Whacha guys think? The stakes will only get higher from here on out!

(1) Since there's a few references to games in the series, like "Yugi" meaning "Game" in Japanese and his hometown being called **Domino** City, I named the street after the oldest known board game in the world, called "Senet."


	5. Hospital Hole In One

I was originally going to do either Manga Chapter 42 or Manga chapter 11-12 (Anime episode 9), but there are quite a few Jounouchi-centered stories and I wanted to keep this fic balanced

I was originally going to do either Manga Chapter 42 or Manga chapter 11-12 (Anime episode 9), but there are quite a few Jounouchi-centered stories and I wanted to keep this fic balanced. If I do end up doing the others, they'll come in later. As for the joke that popped up in the anime, I had to do away with it. I didn't get the translated joke much at all, even thought it was funny to watch Yuugi goofing off like that with Jounouchi.

Also, I know the title sucks. I'll change it when I get a better idea for it.

EDITED MAY 25, 2008

**Yu-Gi-Oh  
The Shadow Games**

**Game Five  
Hospital Hole-In-One**

* * *

A long beep came from the heart monitor, and the man on the stretcher ceased all movement. A young woman and her daughter cried out in despair, clinging desperately to the man that had just passed away before them. The doctor, after emitting a heart-felt apology, exited the room as silently as possible.

As soon as he did, he put both hands together and practiced a golf-swing, completely indifferent to the sorrowful scene that had just taken place in the room behind him. He called up his friend on his cell phone and began asking about the next tournament.

Rumors were going around that Gouyuu's patients were dying more often lately. No one could ever find out why…but that would all soon change.

* * *

Yuugi hadn't had a day this good in a long time. He strode cheerfully down the street with an ice cream cone in his hand. His grandfather had recently gotten a good number of customers for a new game he had, and since Yuugi had helped him out so much he had received a tip of sorts.

Something caught Yuugi's eye in the nearby toy shop. A familiar blonde-haired boy peeked out of the shop, glancing back and forth to make sure no one was looking. Yuugi, being as short as he was, was easily unnoticed in the crowd. Something in the corner of his mind began to suggest something was terribly wrong, but he brushed it aside when he recognized the person.

_Isn't that…Jounouchi…?_

Jounouchi carefully exited the shop holding an enormous pink teddy bear in his arms. He began quietly walking down the street, probably hoping no one would see him. Yuugi, however, was right in his way, and smiled as brightly as he possibly could, probably on purpose. "Jounouchi!"

The blonde-haired young man jerked back suddenly, in a state of both surprise and embarrassment. Yuugi, however, kept right on smiling as though nothing could possibly be wrong. "Nice teddy bear! Is it yours?"

"N-No, it's not mine!" Jounouchi cried, desperately attempting to hide the giant teddy bear behind his back, but Yuugi quickly shifted over to see it. Jounouchi barely kept it out of sight, and it was getting more and more difficult to keep it away from his friend, short or not.

While Yuugi was trying to get another look, he hadn't noticed a group of boys headed his way. In his clumsiness, he ended up splattering ice cream on one of the strangers' shirts. He immediately apologized. "I-I'm so sorry!"

"What do you think you're doing?" One of them said, eyeing Yuugi angrily.

Yuugi apologized once again, pulling out a napkin. Before he could help clean the mess, however, the napkin was slapped out of his hand roughly. Another of the bullies narrowed his eyes further. "You're going to pay for that…"

"Hold it."

The bullies swiveled their gaze to Jounouchi. The blonde faced the offenders bravely, in spite of having an enormous plush toy in his arms. It was a strange contradiction in attitude, but Jounouchi's voice didn't falter even in the least.

"What the…" One of the men said, both surprised and annoyed. "Go play with your toys somewhere else!"

Jounouchi peered from behind the bear, a sly look on his face. "How about you play with _me_?"

They took the fight into a nearby alleyway. Yuugi stood right at the corner of the building, not daring to watch as the sounds of the fight gave him enough reason not to stray too close. Within a small amount of time, however, Jounouchi had made short work of the bullies and was heading back over to Yuugi with the bear in hand. "That took a while," he muttered under his breath. "What morons…"

Yuugi, still somewhat nervous, was relieved to see that Jounouchi had been spared major harm. "Are you alright, Jounouchi?"

The blonde nodded, grinning. "Yeah. It's nothing." As though to contradict his words, the teddy bear's head promptly fell off. Jounouchi winced noticeably. "You've got to be kidding me! What am I supposed to do now?!"

"I'm sorry, Jounouchi!" Yuugi cried, as though it were his fault. "I'll pay you for it!"

To Yuugi's surprise, Jounouchi shook his head. "I don't have time! Yuugi…come with me!"

Yuugi suddenly had the vague feeling that he was in trouble as Jounouchi dragged him toward the train station.

* * *

The sun was setting on Domino City. Yuugi sat calmly on the train while Jounouchi, whom sat slumped in despair in the seat next to him, explained his situation. Yuugi had a hard time believing him at first, but he sincerely felt for his friend. "You have a little sister?" He asked.

"Yeah," Jounouchi replied. "Her name's Shizuka. My mom and pop were divorced six years ago, and she went with my mother." Jounouchi hung his head slightly. "She's always been kind of frail, so she goes in and out of the hospital a lot."

Yuugi smiled kindly. "So you visit her every now and then?" He asked. "That's really nice of you."

Jounouchi turned away, blushing. "N-Not really, I just…" He hesitated, looking up at the sunset through the window. "I just like to see her smile. Besides…today is her birthday…"

"You could have told me before," Yuugi replied, somewhat surprised. "I could have brought something for her."

"It's embarrassing!" Jounouchi protested, apparently not ready to give up his pride. Even so, a sigh slipped through and a hint of a smile appeared on his face. "Listen…keep this a secret from everyone, okay? I don't want to worry them..."

Yuugi nodded eagerly. "Got it."

* * *

Shizuka casually flipped through pages of her comic book. It had been a rather uneventful day, and it was still quite unfortunate that she'd have to spend her birthday of all days sitting in a hospital bed. She began to wonder how her brother was doing…what was he doing now, even? Did he remember…?

"Hiya!"

Shizuka blinked in slight shock. Jounouchi and…someone she did not recognize…had entered the room smiling brightly. "Big brother! Hi!"

Jounouchi approached her slowly, suddenly frowning in disappointment. "I'm sorry, Shizuka. I wanted to wish you a happy birthday, but I couldn't bring you a present…"

Shizuka shook her head. "That's okay; I'm glad you came. Mama said she'd be late with work and I thought I'd be all by myself."

Jounouchi let out a weak smile. At least his sister was still happy.

"But you're so badly hurt," Shizuka said quietly with a sudden change of mood. "What happened to you?"

Jounouchi's eyes widened nervously and Yuugi cast him an odd glance. "Oh, this?" he stammered. "I-It's nothing! Anyway, this is my classmate, Yuugi Mutou."

Yuugi smiled brightly in his usual manner, and bowed. "Nice to meet you!"

Shizuka nodded. "You too, Yuugi."

At that moment, a woman in a nurse's outfit entered the room carrying a tray. "Shizuka, it's time for you medicine," She said, pausing when she noticed that the room wasn't quite as empty as she had expected. "Oh, you have some guests!"

Shizuka smiled. "Yeah, my brother and his friend." She turned back to her brother. "Jounouchi, this is the nurse in charge of me this week, Miss Miyuki." Jounouchi waved shyly.

Miyuki rested the tray next to Shizuka's bed. "You look terrible," she said to the blonde-haired boy. "What happened to you?"

"Oh, that?" Jounouchi replied, searching his mind for a quick excuse. "I just sort of…fell."

Yuugi had to strongly resist the urge to slam his face into the palm of his hand. Jounouchi never really was good at making excuses. The nurse didn't look convinced either, but she still smiled. "I'll treat you. Come with me."

Jounouchi bowed apologetically to his sister. "I'll be right back, Shizuka." With that, he followed the nurse.

* * *

The nurse center that Miyuki took Jounouchi to was pretty empty compared to the other rooms of the hospital. Jounouchi sat in half-surprise, half-stupor as the nurse treated his bruises and scrapes. It wasn't long before she confronted him about his condition. "You got these from a fight, didn't you?"

Jounouchi slumped slightly. It was obvious; there was no hiding it from someone as experienced as this woman. After a moment of silence, he caught the nurse's eye, but quickly looked away. The nurse shook her head as she bandaged him up. "This isn't good, Jounouchi…you can't go off worrying your little sister like this."

"Okay…" Jounouchi replied like a guilt-ridden toddler. If anything would make him forget his pride, it definitely would involve his sister.

The silence didn't last for much longer. The nurse applied one more bandage to Jounouchi and sat up. "There," She said kindly, "Be careful, and don't pick any more fights, alright?"

* * *

As they left, Yuugi and Jounouchi waved farewell to Shizuka in the window, and then headed for the train back to the city. "I want to visit her again," Yuugi said, sounding somewhat wistful. "She seems nice, and it must be lonely in that hospital all the time."

Jounouchi nodded in agreement, his thoughts locked on the nurse he had met. He knew he'd come back, too, and not just for Shizuka.

* * *

Miyuki was making her final rounds around the hospital when she came across the head doctor. Once again, he was practicing a golf swing – this time with his actual club, and in the middle of the hallway. Miyuki didn't approve of her superior's actions at all, but she kept her head low. "Going golfing again, sir?" she asked.

Gouyuu hardly heard the nurse. "Man, my drive was great today," He said triumphantly. "You should have seen it…it was like the goal was sucking it in."

Miyuki could care less about the sport, and addressed the important matters on her mind. "Sir, number 302, Young Mister Minagawa…did you forget he must be monitored at all times?"

"Work is work," Gouyuu replied. "Recreation is recreation."

"I see." Miyuki replied in disappointment. She began walking off, but was promptly stopped by her boss's golf club.

"You know," Gouyuu said quietly and calmly, "You shouldn't work so hard. Why not accept one of my invitations sometime?"

"I'm busy, sir," the nurse replied flatly, pushing the club out of the way and getting back to work. Unbeknownst to her, the doctor was smirking behind her back. He was definitely going to make an offer she simply couldn't refuse..._or else_.

* * *

Jounouchi found his sister sitting alone on a bench outside the next day. "Shizuka!" he cried.

She turned to him, smiling. "Jounouchi! You came again?"

It was at that point she noticed her brother rubbing his head sheepishly. Something was definitely up. "Well...not exactly. _They_ wanted to come." He gestured behind him where three people stood: not just Yuugi, but Anzu and Honda as well. "They're all my classmates."

Everyone waved happily. At that moment, a new character – this one more familiar – approached the group. "Aren't we lively today?"

Jounouchi knew that voice. Turning, he saw Miyuki approaching them. "Jounouchi, come to the nurse center later. I'll change your gauze. See you then." With that, she walked off to check on another patient nearby.

Anzu, always quick to catch the details, smirked playfully at her friend. "Jounouchi, what's with the dreamy look?"

"W-what dreamy look?!" He cried. But as he looked again, he noticed that everyone was giving him strange looks. "What's with you guys?"

Honda snickered. "Oh, give me a break. You've got 'crush' written all over your face."

"_What_?!"

"Big brother," Shizuka said, smiling gently, "I spoke with Miss Miyuki last night, and she says she doesn't have a boyfriend."

Jounouchi was about ready to fall over in exasperation. Now, of all people, his sister was teasing him, too! How could the world be so cruel?! "You too?!" he cried in shock.

Yuugi laughed. "This is your chance, Jounouchi!"

"Hurry and go!" Anzu added. "You can do it!"

Jounouchi gave his friends a weird look. "You guys!" He begged. "Quit teasing me…"

Honda took on a mature, professional look, and stepped forward as though he did it every day…which, unfortunately, wasn't far from the truth. "It cannot be helped, my friend. I shall guide you as an expert in this field. Come." He promptly grabbed a protesting Jounouchi and begun dragging him toward the hospital doors.

"Let me go!" The blonde cried, but Honda just grinned.

* * *

Inside the hospital, Honda stood close to Jounouchi as though they were secret agents on a mission. "Listen very carefully," he said. "Many believe nurses are full of maternal instinct, so they pretend to need help, but that's far from true. They're very busy and hard-working, so they seek men who can support _them_." Noticing Jounouchi's doubtful gaze, Honda continued. "In other words, by being helpful, you can win her over easily."

Jounouchi nodded, though he wasn't entirely sure whether or not to trust Honda. His brown-haired friend tended to cause mischief in these sorts of situations. His friend's gaze sharpened as he continued speaking. "Here I have a gift that will be useful to _any_ nurse on the night shift." He held up a suspicious paper bag. "Be strong, Jounouchi."

Taking it in suspicion, Jounouchi headed down the hall toward Miyuki. "M-Miss Miyuki!" He called, handing over the bag and bowing politely when she turned, "This isn't much, but I'm sure it'll be useful for your next night shift."

Miyuki glanced in the bag, and a rather annoyed look crossed her face. When Jounouchi found out what it was, he gawked in shock. "GAH! I-I mean, it's, uh…"

Miyuki gave him a stern and angry glare. "Jounouchi, this is a hospital!" She said, clearly annoyed. "Behave yourself, and no more pranks." She shoved the bag back into his arms and walked off.

Jounouchi sighed, and Honda quickly arrived, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Give it up. There is no chance."

"You idiot!" Jounouchi snarled. "A _bra_ was hardly the gift I would have thought of!"

* * *

"I've finally got a reservation at the Hokkaido Golf Resort," Gouyuu said, smiling cunningly at Miyuki as she passed. "Want to take a vacation and come with me? I already reserved a set for you."

Miyuki could hardly believe her ears, her eyes slightly widening. "You're not going to abandon the patients, are you?

"If I have to schedule around the patients, I'll _never_ get a day off." He looked away slightly and grinned. "I was promised future head of the medical department." He leaned in closer to Miyuki, grinning and ignoring Miyuki's angered yet uncomfortable looks. "You understand how I feel, don't you?"

"If you're such an important person, why are you acting like _that_?" Jounouchi had arrived on the scene just at the right moment, his hand grabbing the doctor's shoulder. The blonde certainly looked angry.

Gouyuu was definitely humiliated, but he wouldn't have this boy treating him like this. "Why you little…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Miyuki had delivered him a hard slap to the face, knocking his glasses clean off his nose and onto the floor. When he looked back up, he saw an expression of anger that he never imagined on Miyuki's visage. "Sir, we may both study medicine, but I'm _far_ different from you!" With that, she strode off harshly.

As she exited the scene, Jounouchi followed her. "Miyuki!" He cried once they were out of earshot. "I'm sorry about earlier," He began nervously. "I didn't mean to…"

The boy looked up, expecting the nurse to still be annoyed with him, but Miyuki just smiled. "We need to change your gauze, Jounouchi. Come with me, okay?"

Unknown to either of them, Gouyuu was glaring in their direction. "Goddamn nurse…you'll regret that for the rest of your life…"

* * *

Jounouchi had walked slowly away from school that day. Everyone knew something was wrong, and even though everyone began to joke around as usual, Yuugi couldn't help but feel something telling him that the situation just wasn't going well for his friend. After school, he followed his friend down the street and managed to catch his attention.

"Jounouchi, wait up!"

Yuugi's blonde-haired friend glanced rather blankly back at him. "Hey, Yuugi…" He greeted his friend, though he still sounded down in the dumps.

"Remember what you used to say to me before we became friends?" Yuugi asked.

Jounouchi apparently didn't remember, and he still had lost his spunk. He gazed tiredly at his friend. "No…what?"

Yuugi, completely unaware of how much attention he was going to attract, took in a big breath to prepare his well-rehearsed line:

"**YOU'RE NOT BEING MANLY!"**

Every single person in earshot immediately stopped and spun around to find the source of whoever had said such an outrageous statement, surprised to find that the insanely loud comment came from an inversely sized person. Yuugi assumed his regular stance, smiling and laughing innocently at his friend. Jounouchi blinked incredulously for a moment, but then he smiled the same way he used to. "Yeah, you're right," He replied. "Thanks, Yuugi." He picked a few flowers and waved to the shopkeeper to make a purchase.

* * *

Not too long afterward, the two friends once again headed for the hospital and were headed straight for the nurse center. Yuugi was only accompanying his friend to keep him from shying away, which was difficult as Jounouchi was terrible with women.

"Y-Yuugi," Jounouchi later asked, "Do I seem…stiff?"

Yuugi took a look as they walked down the hall. Jounouchi looked as though he were walking straight into a lava pit. With a sigh, Yuugi replied, "…yeah."

Promptly, Jounouchi slapped himself a few times to listen up, and took a deep breath. He had to keep calm if he was going to win over Miyuki. Before they could proceed, however, they were met with a frantic cry from a familiar person.

"Jounouchi!"

The boys both blinked in surprise when they saw Shizuka racing toward him. Jounouchi, deeply concerned for his sister's health, was quick to attempt to calm her. "Shizuka…what are you doing up at this hour?"

"Miss Miyuki…She was fired!"

"_WHAT?!_" Both friends simultaneously cried.

Shizuka was on the verge of sobs, which Jounouchi knew better than anyone was not good for her condition. "Apparently, one of the patient's condition became much worse because she forgot his orders. I don't believe it, but…Mister Gouyuu said that when he gave the order, Miss Miyuki was with someone in the nurse center…"

Jounouchi narrowed his eyes. "Yuugi…wait for me outside." Yuugi hesitated at first, but then did as he was asked to. He was concerned for his friend, but he still knew better than to pry into affairs he was not meant to know about. Jounouchi, meanwhile, flew up stairs.

* * *

Jounouchi found Gouyuu at his desk relaxing and polishing his golf club. He didn't have to try to look angry to get this man's attention; he already looked angry enough on his own. The doctor, however, gazed at him calmly. "Can I help you?" he asked innocently.

"Don't play dumb with me, you bastard!" Jounouchi shouted angrily. "You fired Miyuki because she turned you down on that stupid offer! Don't give me any crap about orders!"

Gouyuu gave Jounouchi a sly glance. "Don't be silly," he replied as though nothing were wrong. "She made a mistake. This is how it must be dealt with."

" Shut it!" The blonde growled. "When Miyuki and I were at the nurse center, you didn't give any orders! I'm a witness. I can expose everything…including the part where you were trying to seduce her!"

"And then your sister will no longer be in this hospital."

Jounouchi paused, eyes widening considerably at the doctor's comment. "Wha…?"

Gouyuu cast a cunning smirk at Jounouchi, feeling triumphant now that the boy had shut his trap. "Even if what you say makes me look bad, I can still get rid of a patient. I have complete authority to." To further the wound, Gouyuu casually turned away and continued speaking as though the loss of a life was no large matter. "Your sister still needs an examination, which is best with this hospital's equipment. It would be…_unfortunate_ if something were to happen…"

Jounouchi cursed under his breath. This man didn't deserve to be in charge of a hospital…how could he do something this horrible?! As he scowled, Gouyuu turned back to face him, still smirking. "Do you want this hospital to keep treating your little sister or not? It's up to you."

Jounouchi couldn't take it. He ran out of the hospital desperately, not stopping even for Yuugi, whom followed him until he stopped.

* * *

Yuugi had no idea what was wrong, but Jounouchi was definitely upset. When his friend exited the establishment, he followed him to the seashore nearby, where he saw Jounouchi angrily slam his fist into a tree and glared at the ground as though it were. He knew he couldn't let silence consume the situation, and he slowly asked, "Jounouchi…what's wrong?"

"Yuugi…I…"

Just the sound of Jounouchi's voice was enough to make Yuugi hesitate. The silence when on for what seemed like hours. Jounouchi finally managed to stutter a few words. "I…I have to keep quiet…"

"Jounouchi…?"

It was clear that his friend was struggling to speak. Yuugi had never heard Jounouchi utter a word in such a state, sounding so miserable and depressed. What was wrong…if he was hurt and upset, why did he have to stay quiet? Yuugi was his friend; he could help him! Even so, why couldn't Jounouchi speak…?

Something tugged at the corner of Yuugi's mind again, but he barely noticed. All he could do was stand by Jounouchi and comfort him in any way he could, even if he wasn't to know what the problem was. That's when something caught his eye.

_Jounouchi…is he crying?_

A flash of light interrupted Yuugi's thoughts…

* * *

The wind blew softly, and the calm sunset suddenly became sinister. He started turning and walking toward the hospital nearby, an ominous shadow extending farther and farther before him with each step. The shadow's glowing eyes gazed angrily, searching about for the criminal that had robbed his friend of his right to speak. It reached the hospital and crept in, crawling up the halls, creeping along the wall, climbing silently up the stairs…

_Gouyuu…you will pay…_

* * *

Gouyuu sat with his feet on his desk, rubbing a polishing cloth over his golf club. His phone was cradled on his shoulder, and he spoke cheerfully to the person on the other end of the line, in spite of the problems of the day. "Yes, I'm joining in the competition. I put off the surgery" The person on the other end promptly asked about any other guests, to which the doctor gave a smug grin. "Oh, the nurse? She turned me down, so I fired her. That's how it's done around here."

_"Oh, the nurse? She turned me down, so I fired her. That's how it's done around here."_

The doctor took a double take. He heard himself echoing on a tape recorder nearby…someone had heard him! Looking near the door, he saw a boy standing there with a tape recorder casually playing back in his hand. He didn't have to look twice, but somehow he recognized this young man, even if it was only the back of his head. "Y-you bastard! You heard me?!"

Yuugi didn't bother to look back at him, but his tone of voice was dark enough to cover that. "That's right, sir. I heard every last bit. Now that you know that, it's time for a little game…"

"What…?"

The doctor followed Yuugi into the hall. "Since it'd be unfair to do anything else, we're going to do something you're good at…golf."

Gouyuu had often practiced his swing in the hallway, but he had never actually played in the hospital itself. "Golf, here?" He asked, somewhat doubtful.

"It's your specialty, right?" Yuugi answered, a sly grin on his face. It was surprising that he didn't even address where the game was taking place. "We'll be using these plastic golf balls, of course. We wouldn't want to break anything." After a moment, Yuugi held up the tape. "The prize is this: the tape I recorded your phone call on. Since you know this hospital far more than I do, I'll have you decide the course."

"Very well…the nurse center. It's right underneath us." His expression changed to slight confusion. "But what are you going to use as a club?"

Yuugi smirked and approached the doctor slowly, lifting the stethoscope off of him. "This'll work just fine."

At first, Gouyuu was rather surprised, as something told him that the boy was planning something. Within moments, however, he had begun laughing and ignoring the strange feeling. "Then this _game_ is decided before it even starts! I warn you, my skill is on par with professionals."

Yuugi didn't even flinch. "Is that so?" He replied. "Then this will be fun."

"See for yourself," Gouyuu replied. He wound up his arms and swung, sending his golf ball soaring down the hall.

Yuugi nodded in place of applause. "Nice shot. My turn." He stepped forward and set his golf ball on the ground, then pulled back the end of the stethoscope like a slingshot. The doctor eyed him carefully as he aimed, and then fired, sending the ball bouncing off of the walls and zooming into the room nearby.

Gouyuu laughed. "Out of bounds? Too bad. I'm going ahead. Catch up if you can."

Though Gouyuu didn't know it, Yuugi was still smirking.

Gouyuu rolled his eyes as he sent the ball downstairs. The game was proceeding incredibly easily for him, which came to no surprise. He was already in front of the nurse center, and Yuugi was nowhere to be seen. This match was over; he had won without any real difficulties. Now that kid wouldn't end up getting in his way…

But the said kid strode confidently up to him. "You know," he said slyly, "This hospital has something _very_ useful."

"What?!" Gouyuu cried. He noted that the boy was grinning triumphantly, and when he was about to wonder why, he suddenly noticed the boy's own golf ball roll _out_ of the nurse center. "What the hell?!"

Yuugi's smirk deepened. "It's the Nurse Center mail drop, sir. I didn't go _out of bounds_, I got a _hole-in-one_." Gouyuu scowled deeply, but Yuugi continued as though nothing was wrong. "You may be knowledgeable at golf courses, but you apparently don't know your way around your own hospital. I win."

Gouyuu glared intensely at the boy. Swearing, he raced at Yuugi, his golf club in the air. "Give me the damn tape!" He swung insanely, intending to kill the boy, but Yuugi stepped to the side just in time. Gouyuu's club slammed into the floor, breaking off the end, and the doctor fell to the ground from the unbalance.

Yuugi glared intensely at him, a third eye on his forehead intensifying the sinister aura in the air. _The door to darkness has opened._

The doctor turned to see what was going on, but spun around when he heard a door behind him creaking open. Undead corpses wearing white hospital robes came stalking towards him. Somehow, Gouyuu immediately knew that they were the patients that he had neglected. He shouted for help as they closed in, and then screamed in terror, but Yuugi simply turned and walked away.

_This eye can only see what is truly in your heart. You will be cursed by your apathy, you pathetic excuse for a doctor._

The lights in the building flipped off as the horrified screams continued through the night, but no one – not even the patients in the building next door – was able to hear them.

* * *

Jounouchi had finally made it to the Misakidai station. He gripped the bouquet he had bought tightly in his hand, remembering his sister's words earlier:

_Miss Miyuki said she's leaving the city today. If you go to the station now, you can still catch her. I don't know what happened, but…I just don't want you to have any regrets._

He knew his sister was right. When he finally arrived at the station, he caught her about to board a train. "Miss Miyuki!" he cried, running for the nurse as though his life depended on it.

Miyuki turned around to see the familiar blonde-haired boy standing behind her. "Jounouchi?" She replied, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Jounouchi hesitated. "Miss Miyuki, please return to the hospital. I'll prove it wasn't your fault…" He paused, noticing Miyuki smiling. "I…I want you to have thi…er…"

All the petals had fallen off of the bouquet in his mad dash to the train station, and now all that remained were the stems and leaves. Jounouchi sulked, his face turning red. Even so, Miyuki gladly accepted his gift before he had a chance to apologize. "Thank you, Jounouchi…but I had already decided to work elsewhere."

The blonde blinked in silent surprise. "You did…?"

A man approached the two from nearby. "Miss Miyuki," he said, "The train will depart shortly. Please hurry"

Miyuki nodded. "I'll be right there." She said before she turned back to Jounouchi. "I'm going with this man to a small clinic. I'm sure the work will be good there."

Jounouchi nodded. As long as she didn't have to work for that cruel Gouyuu person, she'd be much better off. Before he could voice that opinion, however, she continued. "You are a very kind young man. I'm sure your sister will be fine."

Shocked from the comment, Jounouchi had no time to reply when Miyuki turned to board the train. "Come visit on your summer vacation, alright?" She called. "And please give my best regards to Shizuka!"

"I will," Jounouchi replied, feeling hopeful. "I promise."

"I look forward to it!" Miyuki said cheerfully. "Goodbye!" Miyuki waved farewell and boarded the train. Jounouchi waved back until he could no longer see her.

* * *

It was strange. The next few days, Gouyuu had been acting rather out of place. He openly admitted that he was more interested in golf than tending to his patients, somewhat due to a mysterious tape player next to him. The authorities in charge of the matter were quickly working on appointing a new doctor, and it was going rather well. It made Jounouchi happy, but he was still jealous that some unseen hero of justice had done the deed for him.

Yuugi was exceedingly tired the next morning as he tended to be lately (and for some reason that little 'something' in the back of his head wasn't bothering him like it had for the past week since he found out about Jounouchi's sister), but he still managed to wake up in time to participate well in class. He and his friends went to the hospital early that day, arriving there before Jounouchi did so that they could greet him.

It turned out, he had gone shopping again. "Shizuka!" He said happily. I brought you some cake!"

"_Welcome back, Jounouchi!_" The reply came, greeting their friend as he entered and throwing confetti into the air. Everyone was there: Anzu, Honda, and of course Yuugi (he had been appearing everywhere lately, and when they asked he replied that even he didn't know why).

Jounouchi was so surprised he didn't even notice the confetti they threw had gotten stuck in his hair. "What the heck?" He cried. "Where'd all you come from!"

Shizuka smiled. "You haven't come to the hospital for a while," She said informatively. "Everyone was worried about you."

Jounouchi couldn't help but admit that she was right. He had been sulking for a while about Miyuki, but knowing that Gouyuu was no longer in charge of the hospital had given him a renewed hope.

"Jounouchi," Yuugi began, his trademark smile plastered across his face, "In times like this, it's best to go through it with everyone, right?"

Honda stepped forward with great dignity before the blonde could reply. "I completely understand how you feel, Jounouchi. You can cry if you need to, right here on my chest!"

Jounouchi was highly annoyed by Honda, as usual. "Honda…you're _smiling?!_"

Laughter erupted in the room, and Jounouchi did not hesitate to join the lightened mood. Meanwhile, Yuugi couldn't help but think that whatever had turned things for the better had something to do with why he was so tired…but he quickly brushed aside the thought. It couldn't possibly have anything to do with him. After all, he didn't remember a thing about last night.

* * *

YATTA! I finally got done with that. It was fun to write, and it was one of my favorite anime episodes aside from Dragon Block and Episode 23. As for what's coming next, I'm not sure what to begin working on:

The first Capmon episode (I may not do it in the end, but if I do end up doing it it'll have to be tweaked a tad.)

Dragon Block (I really like that episode. It'd be fun to do!)

I might just end up not doing either…let me know what you think! This story is gradually building up. As for when Kaiba shows up…it'll be soon enough, don't worry!


	6. Forbidden Actions

Wow, I'm getting some fans for this story. Thanks everyone!

I realize there's some confusion about chapter three, when Dark Yuugi finishes dealing with Chouno and when you see the uncompleted mirror you see normal Yuugi's face in it. That's because right after he's done speaking, he shifts and normal Yuugi stands there instead, probably going, "Hey, what the heck is this mirror doing here?" I was going to elaborate on that part more but I decided to leave it as is. Anywho. I decided to leave out the capmon chapter (for now) and go with Dragon Block. After this, things will definitely heat up.

EDITED MAY 30, 2008

**Yu-Gi-Oh  
The Shadow Games**

**Game Six  
Forbidden Actions**

* * *

_In ancient times, a dangerous game was created that was never meant to exist. Once its power was discovered, it was to be protected at all costs. Within it rested an evil spirit that, once the jar was uncapped, would possess the one that protected the jar, using the game to wreak havoc on the world around it. Whoever won the game would have their soul trapped within the jar in place of the evil spirit, and if another soul was sacrificed, the soul trapped within the jar before would be released._

_The purpose in creating this forbidden game was to seal away a vengeful spirit, but things quickly went out of hand, and since the game was indestructible, it had to be protected at all costs. Many people, not knowing the truth to this terrible game, attempted to steal it many times, but such a plan never succeeded completely._

_Though later it was ultimately locked away, fate was about to repeat itself…_

* * *

The day was going somewhat well in Domino City. In a small alleyway near the garbage dumpster, however, things were somewhat different for Yuugi and his friends. They were cleaning up around the place, and had already put a bunch of trash bags out behind a building. Even though progress had been made, a few of them were utterly bored.

Jounouchi kicked a small bag of trash, sending it right into the back of Honda's head. The brown-haired boy groaned, spinning around and glaring at the blonde. "What was that for?" he demanded.

"Gimme a break," Jounouchi replied flatly, groaning. "This is downright boring. I'd have more fun mopping the floor at school."

"Really?" Anzu said cheerfully, giving Jounouchi an odd look. "You look like you're having plenty of fun to me."

"That's not it!" Jounouchi loudly protested. "I want a more exciting youth! For example, Japan is totally destroyed by a natural disaster. I recreate a true paradise! When that happens, Honda, I appoint you as the janitor."

Honda rolled his eyes, not having the energy to protest against being a janitor. "You moron."

"Hey, cut it out…"

The voice attracted the friends' attention. A young, red-haired boy was being bullied by two other high school boys just outside the alley. Yuugi was used to the sight – bullies ran rampant in Domino City – but it never failed to make him feel uneasy since he seemed to be a magnet for trouble.

"Don't be stingy," one of the bullies told the boy. "It's just a five-hundred yen match…"

"I can't do it," the boy insisted. "Just leave me alone."

Anzu tilted her head in curiosity. "Isn't that our classmate, Imori?"

"Yeah," Honda said quietly in agreement. "And those guys are bullies from the other class…"

"The rules are simple," the bully continued. "There's a pot on the lawn below. The one that gets their money into it wins. If no one gets it in, then the one closest to the pot wins."

One bully shoved Imori out of the way and threw a coin casually. It landed in the pot, but its speed caused it to bounce right out and onto the grass. "Too bad…come on, Imori. It's your turn."

Yuugi stepped in front of him cheerfully. He knew that these guys weren't exactly being fair, but Yuugi still loved games. "Can I go in his place?"

The bully eyed Yuugi. He knew this kid from the class next to him. Rumors were beginning to go around that he had been seen in suspicious places, like a restaurant that was being held captive by a criminal and a hospital in the middle of the night. Strange, mysterious events tended to follow him as well. He grinned. "If you think you can beat me," he told the little boy, "then go right on ahead and try."

"Thanks," Yuugi said happily, walking forward and flipping his coin off his hand with the simple flick of a finger. Perhaps it was just him or something else, but something in his mind tugged at his attention. When Yuugi tried to find out what it was, he instead found his eyes focusing on the coin. It fell to the middle of the stairs, rolled out, bounced off an old pot and some bits of trash, spun on the edge of the pot, and fell in.

One of the bullies was furious. _How can this shrimp win so easily?!_ "That wasn't fair! Redo it!"

Jounouchi immediately confronted the young man face-to-face. "He didn't break any rules," he said calmly, yet angrily. "No need to get so upset."

Nearby, Honda nodded. "He's right. Yuugi won. I saw it myself."

"Get it now?" Jounouchi said, somewhat miffed. "Because if you do, then get out of here."

The bullies rolled their eyes and left. Jounouchi sighed. He was expecting a good fight, but he didn't want them to bully anyone either.

Imori smiled kindly at his classmate. "That was amazing, Yuugi. You must do this all the time."

Yuugi blushed slightly as the tugging in his mind ceased. "It's no big deal."

"You're good at all games, right?" Imori asked, seeming extremely interested. "That's really amazing. I don't have any skills."

"I don't believe that," Yuugi said in protest. He hated when people put themselves down.

"I really wish I were like you…" Imori replied. After a quick farewell, the boy parted from the group and headed home.

Yuugi was about to send another farewell like he usually did when Jounouchi stepped closer to him, a strange and serious look on his face. "Yuugi, don't get mad, but you should stay away from Imori."

The boy paused in surprise. Yuugi had heard Jounouchi give him warnings about some things, but he had never heard his friend use a tone of voice like that. It was like he was trying to keep something from him. "Why?" Yuugi asked.

Jounouchi gave him a quick look that silenced him. "To be blunt, he's way too…dark." The blonde quickly looked away, probably noticing that Yuugi's gaze was locked onto him. "It might be bad news for you if something happens."

Yuugi winced.

* * *

That day at school, Yuugi was flipping through his book before class when he found a note.

_Yuugi, thank you for this morning. It was the first time someone's ever helped me. I felt so happy. I can't really express it in just this letter. When you get a chance, I'd like to show you my secret place. –Imori_

Yuugi blinked a few times. _Secret place…?_ He wondered what it meant. Jounouchi had warned him to stay away from Imori, but how bad could the boy possibly be? Making a swift decision, he tucked the note away.

That day after school, Yuugi visited Imori's home. It was large, beautiful oriental-style mansion, and reminded him of something he once saw in a history book at school. Short grass grew around the property, and the walkway to the front door was made of stones.

"Am I a bother?" Imori humbly asked as he led Yuugi to the back of the house, where a small and beautiful garden resided right next to the wooden walkway. "I'm sure you're not having any fun around me…"

"Of course not!" Yuugi replied, cheerful as always. He hoped that perhaps by being around Imori he could help cheer him up. "But…is there really a secret base here?"

Imori opened a small compartment in the wall and pulled a rope in it. "Yeah. Take a look." As the rope went down, a portion of the wood floor rolled back, revealing a set of stone steps leading into a basement.

Yuugi was absolutely amazed when he recognized that this basement must have been for hiding during war times. This house must have been ancient! "Your house is so cool, Imori!"

Imori nodded, somewhat flattered, and flipped on a flashlight. The two headed into the cellar-like area, and past a few more doors, Imori lit a few candles. "This is my secret place," he said somewhat proudly.

Yuugi looked about in interest. "Do you always come here alone?" He asked.

"Yeah," Imori replied, somehow sounding…different. It was like he felt more secure. "When I'm here, no one bullies me."

It almost seemed suspicious to Yuugi how Imori was acting, but he had been in plenty of classes with him, so he knew that Imori was shy and didn't know better. As he looked around, he caught eye of something on the wall. Countless ancient games lined old wooden shelves. "You like games too, Imori?" He asked.

Imori smiled sadly. "Saying this to you is embarrassing, Yuugi…but my family has a heritage of loving games. It seems we pay great costs to gather some of the rarest ones."

As he looked at them, however, Yuugi frowned softly. All of the games were single-player types. No wonder Imori was lonely. _I guess his family never made many friends…_

"Hey, Yuugi…" Imori began shyly, getting Yuugi's attention right off. "Actually, I need a favor."

"Sure."

"If you don't mind, um…" Imori looked at his feet for a moment. "Will you be my friend?"

Yuugi smiled. Imori's request reminded him so much of when he had wished on the Millennium Puzzle. He nodded eagerly. "Of course! Let's play a game together."

Imori smiled brightly. "I've never had a friend my entire life!" He said, wiping a tear from his eye involuntarily. "Yuugi, as proof of our friendship, I'll show you something really good!"

Yuugi paused for a moment, slightly suspicious for some reason. "Something good…?" Something in his mind wanted him to be careful, and Yuugi decided to brace himself.

"Yeah." Imori turned to the wall nearby. "It seems one of my family heirlooms is a very rare game. I've still never seen it before. They say it's the only game of its kind."

Upon hearing this, Yuugi's eyes widened. "A one-of-a-kind game?" This he had to see…but why did he feel so anxious?

Without another word, Imori began leading Yuugi down an otherwise completely hidden staircase. "Only I know where it's hidden." They went down a narrow staircase, and Yuugi nearly fell off of the side at one point. It was incredibly dark down here; he barely knew where they were going. He decided to stick closely to Imori.

"Here it is… It should be past this door."

Yuugi tilted his head. _But there's no doorknob…_Yuugi didn't really understand. They had stopped before a large, stone door with many tiles on it. It didn't make sense. On top of it all, something was telling Yuugi to get out of there, quickly.

It was at that moment that the puzzle dangling from around his neck began pulsing. The foreboding feeling grew stronger as it did. Something was definitely behind that door…but why…? He placed his hands on the tiles and pushed. Just as he suspected, a tile slid to the side. "I knew it!" he cried in triumph. "The door itself is a game…a sliding puzzle!"

He slid the tiles around one by one. Slowly, a shape began to form…a picture of a vicious dragon. The instant it was finished, the door slowly swung open, revealing a small pedestal with a strange jar on top of it. The jar was marked with some vague kanji labels, and on top of it was a box. The two were tied together tightly, and on one side, the crimson ropes binding them ended in two ornate tassels.

"This is it," Imori said in wonder, "family heirloom…"

* * *

"A mystical game?" Sugoroku said in contemplation.

Yuugi nodded. "We brought it because we thought you'd know about it, Grandpa."

Sugoroku furrowed his eyebrows as he examined the vase. It only took a moment to examine it when he figured out what exactly it was. "This is…"

"It's a game, right?" Imori said innocently. "We should open it and play it."

"Don't!" the old man cried, batting Imori's hand away immediately. After a moment of silence where both Imori and Yuugi were staring at Sugoroku like he had grown five extra heads, he calmed down as though relief had washed over him. "Sorry about that…but this seal must not be undone by any circumstances. This is Ryuuhai, otherwise known as Dragon Block. It's an ancient game passed down in China…this is the first time I've ever seen it in person."

Yuugi's eyes widened. The name…why did it seem so familiar? "Dragon Block?"

Sugoroku nodded. "Yes, Dragon Block, in the past, was used to train those learning Taoism and Feng Shui, a way of controlling the energy coming from the land. It was said to have formed over four millennia ago."

"But if it was so important," Yuugi asked, "Why was it sealed up and locked away?"

Sugoroku narrowed his eyes contemplatively. Yuugi knew that look: whenever his grandfather looked like that, something very, very serious was going on. "Under Taoism are two branches: Onmyou and Gomyou. They're kind of like Yin and Yang. In other words, everything in this world is balanced by opposites like light and darkness. If the seal were to be undone, that balance would be disrupted, and a terrible and forbidden power would be created."

It was at that moment that Yuugi felt his Millennium Puzzle pulsing again, this time somewhat stronger. Sugoroku and Imori seemed to notice. "It's said," Sugoroku began, "that the Millennium Puzzle also has a mysterious power. It's probably reacting to Dragon Block's energy. In the case of either of them, it's a power that people must not carelessly get involved with." He turned to Imori. "Listen. Be especially careful not to open this game."

Imori nodded. "Okay."

After Imori left and the Mutous went to bed, Yuugi began to contemplate his grandfather's words. Powers that must not be tampered with…he had said, "In the case of either of them," so he was also talking about his puzzle. But nothing had really happened involving it…not that he _remembered_, anyway. As his mind drifted off to slumber, wondering why he never remembered those events, he thought he heard someone telling him something.

_**Be cautious.**_

* * *

As Imori walked home alone that night, he couldn't help but keep staring at the Dragon Block. _A power that is beyond human knowledge?_ He thought. _But if I had that power…_

"Hey, Imori."

The young boy stopped as he was confronted by the bullies from the previous day. They had him trapped on both sides. "You're not getting away today," one of the bullies said, smirking. "Now's the time you pay us back for yesterday!"

Imori spun around to run the other direction, but ran into another person. He turned again to run to the side, he was tripped, and the game flew out of his hands onto the ground. The seal split, and the jar was left open. Small tablets fell out of the box.

_No! The Dragon Block seal…!_

One of the bullies stepped forward to examine the spill, a smirk creeping up his face. "So, Imori likes games too, huh? Just like that little shrimp Yuugi…"

"Interesting," the other young man said slyly. "I challenge you! Of course, we're betting with money, as always."

Imori's gaze turned back to the Dragon Block game. It was glowing brightly, and a sinister, golden mist rose up from it…

**You will be betting far more than that, you pathetic mortal!**

* * *

"Hey, did you hear about Mizuno from the neighboring class?" Anzu asked the next day as she walked in.

Jounouchi shook his head. "Mizuno's the guy that usually bullies Imori…What happened, Anzu?"

"It seems he lost consciousness and was hospitalized," the brunette said, looking terribly worried. "Last night he was found lying in the middle of the road…"

Yuugi only glanced up briefly at the sound of the conversation. As he looked toward Imori in the row in front of him, he saw the boy with his feet propped up on the desk. He hadn't been acting like himself at all lately.

Anzu continued. "…also, it seems Nosaka Miho was supposed to go to the beach with her family this Sunday, but a nearby island _sank!_ Her family thought it was an ill omen, so they cancelled the trip."

Honda strode calmly into the room. "This is your fault, isn't it, Jounouchi?"

"What?!"

Honda glared at Jounouchi angrily. "You idiot! You said you wanted Japan to be destroyed by a natural disaster so you could create a paradise!"

"Quit being stupid!" Jounouchi protested. "If all my wishes came true, you probably would have died a long time ago!"

"_What?!_"

Yuugi rolled his eyes. Even in a situation so strange, his friends still managed to joke around. Sometimes he wondered how they did it. As he began contemplating the subject, Imori approached his desk. "I want to talk to you," the red-haired boy said bluntly, a dark grin on his face. "Can you come, Yuugi?"

It was apparent that something was wrong, but Yuugi still nodded, remembering the words he had heard last night. As they walked down the hall to a nearby empty stairwell, Imori relayed his request to Yuugi.

"…homework?"

Imori nodded, his smile leaving his face. "Right. I was kind of busy last night. I didn't have time to do my homework, and there's no time to copy it, so can you give me yours?"

_Why do I get the feeling I'm not speaking to Imori…?_ Yuugi thought. "But…then …"

"Aren't we friends?" Imori said, cutting him off. "Isn't this the least friends can do for each other?"

Yuugi winced, but noticed a certain blonde-haired young man closing in on them from the classroom nearby. "What are you thinking?" Jounouchi said, sounding quite upset. "Don't listen to him, Yuugi."

"It's none of your business," Imori insisted. "Don't butt in." He turned back to Yuugi. "Now, hurry! Didn't you promise me that you'd be my friend? Don't tell me you're going to betray that…"

Yuugi had to resist sulking. This definitely wasn't Imori, he knew that for sure. Fortunately, Jounouchi kept him from having to reply. "That's not friendship!" he said angrily. "That's just being selfish!"

Imori ignored Jounouchi. "Do you think so too, Yuugi?" After a moment of silence, however, Imori decided he didn't want an answer. "Fine. I see how it is." the boy stalked off back to class.

"What's with that punk?" Jounouchi said a bit loudly, scowling. Yuugi, meanwhile, was staring in shock.

* * *

That day after swimming (in which Jounouchi got in trouble for chasing some of the girls underwater, as per usual), Yuugi and Jounouchi headed back to the locker room. Yuugi reached into his locker for his Millennium Puzzle to put it back on – he treasured it more than anything – but found nothing inside, other than a note. His puzzle had been stolen!

Pulling out the note and hoping to find out about the whereabouts of his precious pendant, Yuugi read in earnest.

_I borrowed your puzzle. If you want it back, come to my secret place. – A messenger of darkness._

Yuugi's eyes widened. _Secret place? That can only be…_

_**Be cautious.**_

Yuugi made immediate haste for Imori's residence once dressed (something told him that this was far more important than explaining his absence), down to the secret cellar. He had only been to this place once, but somehow he knew right away where to go, as though some hand of fate was guiding him there. Within moments he found a candle-lit room. "Imori," he began, "please tell me what's going on!"

"I've been waiting, Yuugi!" Imori said, completely ignoring his friend's pleas. "You can have your puzzle back any time you want…but you have to beat me in a game of Dragon Block."

Yuugi stared wide-eyed at the jar and box next to Imori. The seal had been undone! This had to be what was behind the strange occurrences, as well as Imori's sudden change of antics. He knew it was too dangerous to compete with Imori, and it was a lose-lose situation no matter who won, but he had to put that seal back…

"I've learned various things about this game," Imori said with a dark smirk. "For example, there's only one way to reseal Dragon Block, and that's to sacrifice the loser's soul to this vase."

Yuugi's eyes widened considerably. _Sacrifice the loser's soul?_ "Then…Mizuno was hospitalized because…"

Imori nodded. "Yes. I punished him. Now…it's _your_ turn. Sit down, and we'll begin."

He did. Yuugi didn't like this at all, but he had no choice. "First, let me explain the rules," Imori began. "We will use this map for the field." He laid down a map of Japan. "We put this block marked 'house' written on it on the map. That becomes the player's base. However, I decide where your base is, and you decide where mine is." Reluctantly, Yuugi placed the base marker while Imori placed one as well.

"Next, we take turns pulling six blocks from that box. On the blocks are dragons of various powers. When you have three of the same block, you may summon a dragon. The players gather together the stronger dragon blocks. They summon two dragons. Defeating the opponent's dragon means you win."

Yuugi nodded, taking in the rules that Imori had relayed to him. "I'll draw first," Imori said, drawing blocks.

As the game slowly went on, Yuugi could hardly focus. He was clearly nervous, and something within him tugged strongly at his mind, but he did his best to ignore it. _For now, I have to believe in my own strength…_

_**Be cautious.**_

At one point in the game, Imori spoke up with another rule. "In this game, beating your opponent's elemental dragon wins. Fire defeats metal. Metal beats wood. Wood beats earth. Water beats fire." But this was Yuugi's first try at Dragon Block. Imori wondered how much his friend was reading his moves with no experience.

"I've gathered two dragons," Yuugi announced. "I summon them!"

"I've also gathered two dragons," Imori replied, "And I summon them!"

From behind Yuugi sprung two red, blazing dragons. "Ah, two fire dragons?" Imori said. "Too bad. I have two water dragons!" On cue, two azure, serpentine dragons sprung from behind Imori. "BATTLE!"

The two dragons attacked, and immediately as the fire dragons spouted flame from their vicious maws, a great wave washed over them, drowning them. Yuugi recoiled in terror. "No!"

"Fire cannot beat water," Imori said smugly. "I win!" As Imori laughed, the ground began to tremble. Noticing Yuugi's surprise, Imori smirked. "I forgot to mention, this game has a terrible characteristic. The loser's base, where it is in our real world, is hit with a natural calamity!"

Yuugi froze. "It can't be! So, that uninhabited island…"

"Yes. And the loser's soul…" Imori had no need to finish his sentence. Yuugi knew what was coming next. One of Imori's water dragons began to lunge forward.

_**The puzzle! Get it, now!**_

Not daring to ignore the voice now, Yuugi stood up and reached out with his arm just as the water dragon impaled him. He cried out in shock as his eyes went blank, and the dragon recoiled into the jar, clutching a strange, glowing sphere. Yuugi collapsed forward on the table, his mind tumbling into darkness.

* * *

Imori smirked. Yuugi's soul was trapped in the vase…punishment for betraying his friendship with him. When he looked down, however, he noticed Yuugi grasping the Millennium Puzzle.

"What the…"

Yuugi sat up, jerking the puzzle off of Imori's neck. "I'll be taking this back, thank you," he practically snarled.

Imori stared in disbelief. Yuugi seemed completely different. _What's going on? I thought his soul was-_

"My soul is far from gone," Yuugi stated, his voice brimming with authority. "This time, I bet my other soul, Imori."

_Other…? Yuugi has two souls?!_

"What's wrong?" Yuugi said. "Scared? I choose your base first." He placed the tablet in the middle of the ocean.

Imori stuttered. He couldn't refuse now that Yuugi had begun. "F-Fine. I'll fight you as many times as you want. I will place yours here. Since mine is in the ocean, there will be little damage…but yours, on the other hand, is in Tokyo! I have nothing but bad memories of that place!"

The game commenced. Yuugi's thoughts swarmed through his head. He had to retrieve his other soul in this game, and there was so much more at stake if he lost. He wasn't even smirking this time; this game was not his own, and he had no authority to intimidate his opponent._ If I look at the blocks he's discarding, I can figure out what he's gathering…_

"I call a water dragon and a wood dragon!" Imori announced.

Yuugi's gaze stayed stern. "I summon an earth dragon and a metal dragon."

"BATTLE!"

The water dragon sent a wave toward Yuugi's summons, but Yuugi knew the same attack wouldn't work twice. _Metal gives power to earth, and earth protects metal._

But he didn't expect what was coming next. The water dragon wrapped itself around the wood dragon. Imori smirked. "Water gives power to wood, Yuugi," he said, snarling somehow, "Just like how trees grow from water's nourishment. You can't stop me this time!"

Sure enough, the tree-like dragon had wrapped vines around Yuugi's earth dragon, sapping its energy. At this rate, Yuugi knew his earth dragon would not be able to move…but he had one last tactic up his sleeve.

_Squeeze out that last bit of power, metal dragon!_

The metal dragon raced forward and slashed down the wood dragon, obliterating it and freeing the earth dragon. A great crevice appeared in the ground, causing the water dragon to fall to its doom as it slowly sealed.

Imori blinked in disbelief. "Impossible…how could I lose? You've only played once before!"

Yuugi glared angrily at the red-haired boy. "I'm more knowledgeable about this game than you think," he said furiously. "And don't think I've forgotten the penalty." Imori barely had time to cry out in shock when Yuugi ordered it to happen. "This time, Imori, _your_ soul will be sacrificed!"

Imori's eyes went blank and he collapsed on the table. A small, cold sphere flew into the jar, and another – a warmer, kinder one – flew out and returned to Yuugi. With his other soul finally recovered, he began to stand, intending to leave.

To Yuugi's complete surprise, Imori slowly sat up. "Where…am I?" he said quietly, as though he had awoken from a long nap. He then glanced around frantically. "Ah! Why is Dragon Block here?!"

Yuugi understood now. When the seal was undone and the boy before him was punished, the soul that had been locked away beforehand had possessed Imori. Now that it was locked away once again, Imori was now his old self.

"Yuugi," Imori said very quietly, "Will you help me reseal Dragon Block? I'll be in trouble if my father finds out…"

Yuugi nodded, his stern gaze unflinching. "Yes," was the simple reply.

They tied up the game and put it back in the hidden chamber in the cellar, and the door was sealed once more, never to open again.

* * *

_In this world was a power surpassing human knowledge that could control the fate of the world itself. Games that possess such power still exist…games that must not be carelessly tampered with._

* * *

Well, that was kind of the weirdest chapter I've ever done. OMG Two chapters in one day! HURRAY FOR WEEKENDS! Hopefully my chapters are still good quality...next up is all the good stuff! WOOHOO. Or something.


	7. The Museum Exhibition

Finally, things are getting good! If you can catch the Abridged Series reference, you get a free chocolate chip cookie.

EDITED JUNE 1, 2008

**Yu-Gi-Oh  
The Shadow Games**

**Game Seven  
The Museum Exhibition**

* * *

_The history of games goes back thousands of years in the past to ancient Egypt. That ancient game predicted the future of humans and kings…it was thought of as a ceremony that decided fate…and it was called the Shadow Game._

_The power of the shadow games, however, was far too powerful, and had to be locked away. The most powerful of the magic was said to be locked away in the sacred Millennium puzzle…_

* * *

"An excavation in Egypt?" Jounouchi inquired curiously.

Yuugi nodded in excitement. "Yeah! They found a pharaoh's tomb in the Valley of the Kings. The researcher in charge of it is my grandfather's friend, and he said he'd show us around for free if we go this Sunday."

"That's him in this picture, right?" Anzu asked, pointing to a young man in a photo. He was wearing khaki jeans and a white, somewhat formal shirt – other than the fact that it was smudged a bit with dirt. He wore a pair of classes and had a clean haircut.

Yuugi nodded. "Yep!"

"He looks friendly enough," Honda said. "I always thought Egyptologists were cranky old men wearing weird hats."

Anzu glanced up momentarily. "Yuugi…wasn't your puzzle found in an excavation there?"

Yuugi nodded in agreement. "Yeah, the Millennium Puzzle. It was found in an excavation there about a decade or so in an unmarked tomb."

"Didn't your grandfather say that the people that found it all died mysteriously?"

Jounouchi's eyes widened in shock. "Died mysteriously?" He repeated, inching away from Yuugi. "You're not cursed or anything, are you, Yuugi?!"

Yuugi lowered one eyebrow and chuckled nervously. "Knock it off! Of course I'm not cursed!" He cried in protest, though his thoughts would have told otherwise. He had been having lapses in his memory after completing the Millennium Puzzle, as well as a strange voice that spoke in a familiar yet foreign voice._ I should probably keep it a secret from everyone. I don't want to worry them…_

"Looks like they found a mummy, too," Honda pointed out.

"_M-Mummy_?" Jounouchi stuttered, his expression suddenly changing.

Honda stared blankly at his friend. "What's wrong, Jounouchi? Scared of mummies?"

"Of course not! Geez…"

"At any rate," Yuugi said suddenly, hoping to calm the two down (which was usually not likely), "Let's go visit the museum this Sunday. Professor Yoshimori will be happy to see us."

* * *

Yuugi, his friends and Sugoroku gathered together that Sunday at the museum. A rather handsome young man in khaki pants and a similar jacket awaited them at the entrance. "Mister Mutou!" He cried. "I'm so glad to see you!"

Sugoroku smiled brightly. "Good to see you again, Yoshimori! Thank you for inviting us."

The stranger smiled, adjusting his glasses. "Sorry for not keeping in touch," he said.

"Don't worry about it!" Sugoroku replied. He turned to Yuugi and his friends. "Everyone, this is my long-time friend and colleague, Professor Yoshimori."

"Pleased to meet you," Yoshimoro said, bowing politely.

Another man strode up to the group. He was, in complete contrast to Yoshimori, rather heavy-set, formally dressed, and wore a small pair of spectacles. "Mister, Yoshimori, I've been looking for-ah, friends of yours?"

"Yes, sir," Yoshimori replied kindly. "This is my friend Sugoroku, his grandson and his grandson's friends." The man turned back to them and smiled. "Everyone, this is the curator, Mister Kanekura."

"Nice to meet you," Kanekura said, his voice somewhat raspy and old. "Welcome to my museum."

A flash caught Yuugi's eye. For a moment he thought he was going to have another lapse, but he felt fine. He gazed about; nothing seemed to be wrong. Even so, he knew something was definitely suspicious.

"By the way, Yoshimori," Kanekura said, his eye twinkling mysteriously.

Yoshimori nodded before the curator finished, smiling happily. "Ah, yes. Sugoroku, didn't you mention that your grandson solved the Millennium Puzzle?"

Mr. Mutou nodded. "Yes, I did. I guess you mentioned it to the curator, hmm?"

Yuugi turned back to the men speaking. Yoshimori nodded at the boy. "You must be Yuugi," he said formally when he noticed the pendant around the boy's neck.

"So that is the rumored Millennium puzzle?!" Kanekura cried, taking it from around Yuugi's neck somewhat rudely and eyeing it in utmost shock. "Amazing! This is an outstanding cultural relic of Egypt! Yuugi, _please_ let us put this on display, just for today!"

Something told Yuugi that this really wasn't a good idea – he treasured the puzzle very much, and always kept it with him – but he nodded reluctantly. "Alright…it's only for one day after all."

Kanekura's bowed deeply. "Thank you kindly, Yuugi. Our entire museum will thank you as well!"

Yuugi didn't like the look in the curator's eyes, but he still agreed.

* * *

Jounouchi's jaw practically fell to the ground when he saw the sheer amount of treasure on display. "All these treasures are _yours?_" he said, aghast.

Yoshimori laughed, shaking his head. "Not at all! In the past, Egyptologists used to own half of their findings, but a law was passed in 1922 so that all artifacts are owned by Egypt. When Carter found King Tutankhamen's tomb at around that time, he didn't keep any of his findings."

"Really?" Yuugi said. "I thought archaeologists wanted to get rich, which was why they looked for treasure." It was strange, he didn't expect such an odd question to come to his mind. It was like someone had put it there for him.

Yoshimori shook his head, his smile a somewhat sad one. "Of course not. Archeologists actually don't make that much money. I just enjoy making new discoveries that have been hidden from us for thousands of years."

"So, it's like an adventure for you?" Yuugi asked. He was really beginning to admire Yoshimori. He wasn't interested in money at all; he just loved the thrill of discovery. But if that was true, why was there a sorrowful look in his eyes?

Yuugi couldn't help feeling upset himself as he looked around, his neck feeling a bit too light since he was used to wearing the puzzle around his neck. _Why can't I help but feel like a worried parent…_

"Hey, Yuugi!" Jounouchi called. "With your puzzle on display, you'll be famous all over Japan, you know"

"No way," Yuugi said, rubbing his head sheepishly.

"I'll get my camera," Anzu said happily. "We can get a souvenir photo of us in front of its display."

Yoshimori turned his gaze back to Yuugi. "I'm sorry," he said calmly. "You seem worried about your puzzle…"

Yuugi sighed quietly. Yoshimori had read him like a book. "Maybe," he said, "but it's only for a day, so…"

"Kanekura made this excavation possible," Yoshimori said, suddenly lowering his voice, "So I really didn't have much of a choice. I shouldn't say this, but…he strikes me as a rather selfish person…"

Yuugi snapped into attention. So he wasn't the only one that felt odd when…

"Look at this!" Anzu cried, gathering their attention. "It's amazing!"

"That's the judgment of the dead," Yoshimori said. "Yes. The dead had their hearts weighed on this scale before the Egyptian Lord of the Dead, Osiris. If their heart weighed more than the feather of truth, then they would be punished by the demon Ammet."

"Sounds scary," Honda said, inching away from the display.

"Next are the mummies," Yoshimori said, a somewhat proud and strong enthusiasm coming from his voice.

"M-Mummies?" Jounouchi stuttered, almost frozen on the spot. "No way! I'm not going to get cursed!"

"Don't worry, Jounouchi," Yoshimori said, laughing. "There's no such thing as a curse; you'll be fine."

Yuugi, however, stayed and looked at the mummy for a slight moment longer than anyone else – long enough to notice a strange man standing near him. The man wore white robes and a turban with a feather inserted in one of the folds…and from his skin complexion, he was clearly Egyptian. He carried a set of scales in his hand, and a strange, Ankh-shaped key was tied around his neck.

It was at that point that Yuugi noticed the tears coming down the man's face. "Why are you crying?" he asked quietly. "Are you sad?"

"These are not my tears," the man said. "This rotted figure is like a doll of dust. However, this pharaoh's soul is eternal, and he has been denied his eternal sleep. The tears he sheds in grief are given to me."

Yuugi blinked in concern. This man was somewhat strange. For a moment, Yuugi also felt sad for some reason. The man soon ceased his tears and ruffled Yuugi's hair. "You're such a nice young boy," he said, smiling warmly.

"Boy?!" Yuugi insisted. "I'm a high school student!" Yuugi's cries never reached the man; he had walked off as though he never heard him. Yuugi tilted his head. "What a weird Egyptian…"

A short distance away, Kanekura and a strange man stood at a display case. "Mister Kanekura," the man said, scratching his beard, "This Millennium Puzzle is simply _fabulous!_ How much are you willing to sell it for?"

Kanekura lifted an eyebrow at the strangely-dressed man next to him. The curator never really like foreigners, but he never turned down business opportunities. "You have your sights set rather high, sir. We'll do the business in my office once the museum is closed." The two walked off.

"Hey, look!" Jounouchi cried, pointing at a display case in the center of the room. "Yuugi's puzzle really _is_ on display!"

Yuugi's eyes widened. It was true! It was also displayed very well. After getting a photo, the group exited the museum. It had been a long day, and everyone was ready to go home.

"Thank you for today," Sugoroku said as the reached the bottom of the stairs, bowing politely to Yoshimori.

The professor nodded. "Don't mention it," he said happily. "I need to return to the college now. Take care."

After everyone said their farewells, Anzu tilted her head. "Well, what do we do now?"

"I'm going to wait until closing time," Yuugi stated happily. "I want to get my puzzle back."

His friends, however, thought otherwise. "Are you sure you'll be okay alone…?" Honda asked, seeming concerned.

Yuugi definitely wasn't sure, but he was extremely eager to get his precious pendant back. "Yeah."

"Ah, right…"

"Then we'll split up here," Anzu said. "See you all at school tomorrow!"

"Bye!"

As soon as everyone had left, Yuugi cast a glance to his watch. It was four-thirty; only half an hour until closing time. He sat down near the door and began to daydream as the sun set before him.

* * *

Within the curator's office, Kanekura snickered, holding up the Millennium Puzzle to his greedy eyes. Sponsoring the excavation was very expensive…but the Millennium Puzzle was bound to earn all that money back in an instant. He had had a very lucky day.

He heard a knock at his door. "Mister Kanekura," a familiar and odd voice called out.

Kanekura sat up eagerly in his desk. It was the buyer! "Come in, come in! I've been waiting!"

But when the door opened, it was not the foreigner that entered. Instead, a white-robed man holding a scale entered the room, his gaze blank and void of any emotion. Even so, he seemed very angry.

The curator's eyes widened in shock. "Who the hell are you?!"

The man, secretly known as Shadi, narrowed his eyes. This man appalled him… "I am from a family that has guarded the tombs in Egypt for three thousand years," he stated bluntly. "Your horrible ambition has disrupted the sleep of yet another spirit in the Valley of Kings. You are to be judged."

Kanekura quickly regained his composure. This man was definitely acting oddly…but he wouldn't accept this occult nonsense. "I get it," he said in suspicion. "You're a spy from the Egyptian government, aren't you? Are you here to arrest me?"

Shadi did not answer the man. Instead, he placed the set of scales on the curator's desk. "This is the scale that measures truth," he stated, pulling out a feather from his turban, "And this is the feather of Ma'at…the very weight of truth itself."

The curator may not have been an expert at Egyptology, but he knew rather well what this man was playing at: he was going to weigh his sins. Of course, he didn't believe it for a moment. "Who the hell do you think you are? What do you want from me?"

Once again, Shadi ignored the man's interrogation. "From here on out, we will be having a game. More specifically, a Shadow Game." He placed the feather on one side of the scale, and both sides were still evenly balanced. "I will ask you some questions. If you do not tell the truth, weight will be added to the other side…the weight of your sins. If that side touches the desk, you lose, and will suffer a terrible punishment."

_Punishment…?!_

The Egyptian man ignored his shock. "First question. A girl has fallen into a well, and you are the only witness. At the foot of the well is some money she dropped. You are to choose between the girl and the money. What do you do?"

On instinct, Kanekura cried out, "I'd save the girl, of course!"

The empty side of the scale lowered, much to the curator's shock. _What the…the scale lowered with nothing on it?!_

"Next question," Shadi said, ignoring Kanekura's absolute fear…

* * *

Yuugi gazed at the sky wistfully as the few remaining visitors passed through the doors. Today had been rather eventful; he had visited an Egyptian exhibit, had his beloved treasure on display, and he even met a man from Egypt! He'd never had so much fun in his life!

In spite of that, he somehow felt that for some reason something simply wasn't right…it wasn't like him to be impatient, but he couldn't help but feel worried about his puzzle. Yoshimori _had_ said that the curator was a somewhat selfish person, but no one would really _steal_ his puzzle right in front of him…it just wasn't right, let alone a smart idea…

Yuugi sighed, stretching his arms and gazing at the sunset. _I guess I'm just worrying too much. _He glanced one more time at his watch. It was five o'clock; time to retrieve his puzzle. With an excited smile on his face, he stood up and headed for the museum door.

* * *

Kanekura was horrified. He was telling the truth – at least, he was trying to – but the scale continued to sink on the empty side! "What is this, a trick?!"

The stranger shook his head.

"Then tell me," the curator demanded angrily, "What exactly is this _punishment_…?"

"Very well," Shadi said calmly, still exhibiting no emotion. "Before we continue, I will tell you about the punishment game you will suffer through if you lose._ It lies within your own heart._"

Kanekura's chair shifted. The ends of the armrests became arms, their clawed hands gripping tightly the curator's wrists to prevent escape. The back of the chair stretched and formed a monstrous head that hovered over Kanekura, its saliva dripping across the man's face, its many fangs bared ferociously. The curator trembled, repressing a terrified scream. Shadi, however, did not seem startled at all. "That is Ammet, the monster that lives within your soul-room." He said, and decided not to explain further. There was, after all, no need, given the horror on the man's face. "Final question. You have violated holy ground, and you exchange beautiful treasure for money. Do you do it for personal profit?"

Shadi's gaze intensified, but Kanekura was already going out of his mind. "P-Please, stop this! If you want money then I'll pay you whatever you want!"

The empty end of the scale clinked lightly against the desk. Shadi's gaze was unflinching. "There is no truth in your heart," he said coldly. "All that exists is greed. For that, you will face your rightful judgement." The monster lowered its head toward the museum curator, fangs bared. Kanekura screamed in horror, but Shadi paid no heed, putting the feather back into his turban. This man knew of nothing but money and greed. Such soul-rooms could only become breeding grounds for demons like that which will ultimately destroy their hosts. With that in mind, he decided that his business was done.

He picked up the scale and began to leave when he caught a glimpse of another object on the table. It had a small rope tied to a loop, which connected to an upside-down pyramid shape. It was the Millennium Puzzle…in completed form. He stared at it in disbelief, his eyes wide. _For thousands of years, I've heard it had never been completed…why is it here? Did someone in this country solve it…?_

* * *

Yuugi glanced around nervously. He really, _really_ wanted his puzzle back – it was as though something was calling him to it, for some reason – but the museum was like a maze in the dark. _I should probably hurry,_ he thought. _The curator is probably waiting for me…_

He didn't have to go far. A familiar man began walking toward him, carrying a strange scale in his hand. It was the Egyptian man from earlier that day. Yuugi rubbed his head sheepishly. _He probably won't know…but it can't hurt to ask._ "Ah, sir…have you seen my puzzle? It's shaped kind of like this…" He held his fingers in a strange triangle shape.

Shadi was not only astounded by this boy's innocence, but also by what he had just told him. Did this child mean to tell him that he was the one that had solved the Millennium Puzzle? Shadi doubted this strongly, but he knew that there was only one way to find out.

Yuugi sulked, staring at his feet in disappointment. "I guess not," he said quietly.

Pulling out a mysterious, key-shaped object, Shadi approached Yuugi with the end pointed towards the boy's head. Yuugi knew it was not a good idea to stick around, and began to back away. "W-Wait, sir! What's going on?!"

Shadi kept at his advance, and soon Yuugi paused as the key came closer to him. The instant it made contact, a quiet clicking noise resounded throughout the entire museum…

* * *

Shadi casually strode into what he expected was going to be the boy's soul-room, but what he found instead astounded him. He was, instead, in a hallway. There were two rooms in this boy's soul. On one side, the door was wide open, and an aura of innocence spilled forth from it. Toys were scattered everywhere, and there was not a single wicked thought to be seen. In fact, this boy seemed not to even understand anything wicked.

Still wary, Shadi turned to the other door. It was marked with the familiar wadjet eye, and seemed much darker than the room opposite of it…and much more sinister. The door opened on its own, as though inviting him in. Shadi had no need to step in, as someone was already waiting for him.

And he looked very familiar.

"Looks like I have a visitor," the figure stated.

Shadi was taken aback at first. It looked exactly like the boy from before, but something was definitely different. Shadi had visited people's soul-rooms before. Normally, one soul only had one room, but this boy had two! And the one he stood in now was cold and repressing like the tomb of an Egyptian Pharaoh. Perhaps this boy had two souls…? No, that could not be…

The boy didn't give Shadi much time to contemplate. "I don't know how you managed to get here," the young man said darkly, "So please tell me how you did, and who you are."

"I am a visiting guest," Shadi replied, somehow managing to stay calm as he always did. "It is only polite that I answer your question. I have come to learn about the power of the Millennium Puzzle."

"So you know of the Millennium Puzzle's existence," the boy said, somewhat contemplative, "And about me."

Shadi nodded. "The Millennium Puzzle is a Dark Millennium Item. It has resided in the Nameless Pharaoh's grave for the past three millennia. That pharaoh used to use it to reveal as well as judge criminals, as written in the Egyptian Book of the Dead."

"Then you arrived here using the power of one of those millennium items?" the boy inquired.

"Yes," Shadi replied, "I used the Millennium Key. It is used to look into people's soul-rooms. By doing so, I can learn about that person – their personality, potential, as well as other things. I also possess the Millennium Scales. It is used to weigh the sins of those whom are to be judged. As for the Millennium Puzzle, however, I know naught of its power. How much power does its completed form have?"

The boy's gaze did not flinch, but by the sound of his voice, he sounded somewhat annoyed. "So you came here to find the answer?"

"I can sense a great power here," Shadi continued, almost ignoring the boy's question. "I need to make sure of this, and if my family needs this power I will have to take it."

"Your family?" the boy echoed. Shadi nodded, and he shifted his gaze slightly. "That power – the puzzle's power – is indeed in here. If you want it, though, I'm not going to hand it over so easily. I think I'll play a game with you instead."

_A game…?_

The boy gave a hint of a smirk. "If you win, I'll tell you the secret of the Millennium Puzzle. Somewhere in here is my true soul-room. Find it, and you win. It's easy enough"

Shadi only chuckled at the proposal. "I also forgot to mention that once I enter a soul-room, I can freely manipulate it, which means I can destroy someone's personality, too."

The boy's glare intensified. Shadi could tell that the boy didn't like the sound of that, and would do anything to keep that from happening. Even so, he would not back down. He needed answers. "I accept your challenge, young man."

The boy's glare turned into a smirk. "I wonder if it'll be that easy for you? It's much more dangerous in here than you think."

As though cued by the boy's words, the soul-room lit up. There were stairways and doors everywhere! It was a complete maze! Beyond the stone floor was nothing but an abyss. There had to be hundreds of doors in this place!

"What's wrong?" the boy said, mocking Shadi's hesitation. "The game won't start unless you move, you know."

Shadi went up a stairway nearby. He had never felt nervous before in his entire life. His hand carefully gripped the first doorknob he came to and he opened the door. Before he had even set foot in it, a huge, stone block fell from the unseen ceiling and came inches from crushing him. He backed out, sweat rolling down the side of his face.

_**You probably know now that the road to the true room is a pretty steep one.**_

Shadi didn't have to look to know who was speaking to him. The boy…was the boy mocking him?

_**I'll be waiting. Don't keep me.**_

Of course, Shadi had already realized that any room that wasn't the real one was definitely a trap…and a lethal one at that…but how many doors were there? He could be trapped here forever if he wasn't careful.

It felt as though hours were going by. Shadi came upon countless traps: a flood, a great fire… The boy's other mind was stubbornly hindering him, and what's more it was using illusions to bewilder him! In spite of these obstacles, Shadi would not surrender. He wanted to know the puzzle's true power…unless, of course, it was right under his nose, then…

He finally came upon another door, and gently pushed it open. Beyond it was an empty room with a stone chair inside, and sitting on it was…

"About time," the boy said quite simply. His smirk didn't budge.

"So this is it," Shadi asked quietly, "I've finally reached the true room?" But as he stepped forward, something felt wrong. The brick ground crumpled from underneath him, and he began to fall into an endless abyss. Desperately, he grabbed the edge of the pit. If he fell, he'd be trapped within this boy's mind forever!

That's when he saw a hand stretching towards him. Was the boy offering to help him? He stared suspiciously, but the boy grinned ever-so-slightly. "Don't worry," he said. "My hand isn't a trap."

After being pulled away from his certain doom, Shadi paused to catch his breath. In someone else's soul-room, he was the one getting saved…and by a completely different personality than he had just met with before he entered. "I am indebted to you," Shadi said quietly.

"Invading people's minds isn't a good hobby," the boy said, still very clearly annoyed. In fact, if he was absolutely infuriated (which Shadi knew he probably was), he suppressed it rather well. "Neither is threatening to rearrange them like a doll house."

"I suppose I've lost this game, then?" Shadi said, feeling somewhat weak.

"No…perhaps this is only the beginning."

* * *

"Um…are you okay, sir?"

Shadi was kneeling on the ground, gasping for breath. He looked about ready to pass out into a coma, and sweat was rolling down his face. He had entered the boy's mind to test him, but it was he whom was tested in the end. Of course, the boy before him was completely unaware of any of this. "Sir, are you alright? You're really pale; are you sick or anything?"

Shadi glanced up. The boy in front of him was so different…the one Shadi had been tested by was sinister, fierce and stern, but this boy was kind-hearted and gentle. Such a difference caused him to hesitate momentarily, wondering if someone else was standing in front of him, but after a moment he nodded, smiling. "I'm alright," he said. "Does this belong to you?" He held forward the completed millennium puzzle.

"My puzzle!" Yuugi cried excitedly, taking it and smiling brightly like a boy receiving a puppy on Christmas day. "Thank you so much!"

Chuckling kindly, Shadi shook his head. "No, young man…_I_ am the one whom is in _your_ debt."

"Debt?" Yuugi asked curiously. Apparently he wasn't used to the word being used like that. "Did I lend you something…?"

"I meant the other you."

Yuugi blinked, further confused. The strange feeling in the corner of his mind wasn't helping either. "The other me? What are you talking about?"

Shadi paused. This boy didn't even realize that he had a hidden personality. Perhaps it was only when they became one that the true power of the Millennium Puzzle would awaken…

"Are you sure you're okay?" Yuugi asked, eyes full of concern. "You should really go home and get some rest…"

"Boy," Shadi said sternly, "What is your name?"

Yuugi suddenly seemed disgruntled. It wasn't the type of annoyance the boy that Shadi had met with the Millennium Ankh, but it seemed more like the annoyance that children would have. "I'm not 'boy,' I'm Yuugi!"

"Yuugi," Shadi echoed, beginning to walk off. The name was somewhat familiar. "There are still things I must do in this country…but when I am finished, I hope I see you again." He turned to view the boy out of the corner of his eyes. "My name is Shadi. This is the first time I've ever told anyone my name." With that, he walked off. _I must find out for sure what this boy's true power is…_

Yuugi, on the other hand, was still clueless. "What a weird guy," her muttered before walking off. He needed to head home, he'd had a long day. Though, how it had gone from simply evening to almost the middle of the night in mere moments completely baffled him.

* * *

Sorry if this chapter didn't come out well. I may edit it soon. Next up, well...isn't it obvious what's coming next?


	8. Shadi's Challenge

Okay, yay! Its getting cooler! More awesome! More…eh, whatever. I'm having fun.

This chapter will be more based off of the Manga than the anime, since it makes a lot more sense in the Manga. Plus there's kind of a cute Anzu/Yuugi moment at the end! Also, another slight Abridged Series reference. Sorry about that.

EDITED JUNE 1, 2008

**Yu-Gi-Oh  
The Shadow Games**

**Game Eight  
Shadi's Challenge**

* * *

_The power to grant a single wish…but there was a catch. That wish cannot be so easily taken back. If whatever was bestowed upon the wish maker was to be taken away, a sinister darkness – only as evil as the wisher – would overtake that person's mind, challenging the thief to a Shadow Game, just like the ones used in Egypt long ago._

_The spirit disagreed. It would choose who would choose himself whoever would solve the puzzle. Only the worthy should control the Shadow Games. Their power is too much to be given to just anyone…_

* * *

Yuugi sat quietly at his desk, holding the Millennium Puzzle thoughtfully in his hands. He was deep in thought, pondering the events of the day before. The Egyptian man he had met in the museum had said something about "another Yuugi"…and that the Millennium Puzzle had some sort of secret. He had also said something else…

_There are still things I must do in this country…but when I am finished, I hope I see you again._

As he started to think about it further, however, Yuugi found himself getting a headache. Nothing the man said had made sense. _Maybe I should focus on something else for a while…_

He didn't get much time to find a different thought subject, as his grandfather called him from below. "Yuugi! Come quickly!"

The boy slipped the puzzle back on his neck and headed downstairs to see what his Grandfather was upset about. He had apparently been reading the newspaper when something caught his eye. "There's a report that the Museum Curator Kanekura was found dead in his office," the old man said, seeming worried.

_Mister Kanekura…dead…?_

Sugoroku continued, a grim look on his face. "The cause of the death was shock, but the paramedics said it was unusual that it was enough to make his heart burst. They're blaming it on the curse of the pharaoh's tomb…"

Yuugi had a strange feeling about this. "Grandpa…you don't really think it's a _curse_, do you?"

"They said the same thing when people involved in excavating Tutankhamen's tomb started dying mysteriously," Sugoroku explained. "Back then, saying something like that would draw major attention, but in this case everyone's already suspecting it. What I'm more worried about is Professor Yoshimori."

Upon hearing the man's name, Yuugi's eyes widened. Shadi had said something about more things to do before he left…could it possibly mean…?

"I'm going to go to the university and visit him," Sugoroku continued. "He's probably upset over Kanekura passing away…"

"Grandpa…?"

Sugoroku paused, facing his grandson for a moment. "Yes, Yuugi?"

Yuugi seemed for a moment to not know how to word his statement, but still spoke. "…can I come, too?"

Sugoroku was rather surprised by Yuugi's request at first, but he nodded anyway. "I don't see why not," he said, grinning and slipping a wine bottle into his bag. "Seeing you may help cheer him up a bit."

Yuugi agreed, smiling happily. His thoughts, however, wandered in another direction. It might have been just him, but he had a feeling that Shadi's "other target" would be the professor. It was only a small chance, but he couldn't deny it as a possibility. Besides, he felt that there was something…or some_one_…urging him to go.

* * *

As Yuugi and his grandfather exited the shop that evening, two familiar people rushed toward them from up the street. Yuugi tilted his head when he recognized them: it was Anzu and Jounouchi.

"We heard about the curator on the news!" Jounouchi said, his visage full of suspicion.

"We're about to go visit the professor to cheer him up," Sugoroku said calmly.

"Great!" Anzu said. "We were just headed that way; we'll go with you."

Yuugi felt another thought prod at his mind, and his eyes widened. Something didn't feel quite right. His friends would definitely be in trouble if he let them come along. Knowing this, he spoke. "Um…"

All heads turned to Yuugi, whose face was ridden with worry and thought. "Maybe you two shouldn't go," he said carefully. He didn't want to worry them, but he couldn't let them get in trouble, either. "I kind of have a bad feeling about this, so…"

At first, Jounouchi and Anzu gave Yuugi strange looks, but eventually they just smiled cheerfully. "It's okay Yuugi," Anzu said. "Jounouchi worries about a curse, but the Professor said there isn't one, remember?"

"Yeah!" Jounouchi added, nodding in agreement. "Besides, I owe Yoshimori for showing us around the exhibit. I'm as worried about him as you are."

Yuugi laughed nervously. "I guess that's true," he said, cheering up regardless of the growing foreboding feeling in the back of his mind. "Sorry for acting so weird…"

* * *

That night, the Domino University was much more quiet than usual (aside from the fact that Jounouchi was teasing Yuugi for wearing school clothes when he wasn't in school). Professor Yoshimori rested his head on his hand, closely examining the paperwork on his desk. He remembered clear as day the time when he was in Egypt, excavating a never-before seen tomb. It was the best time of his life, and only days after they had finally come back home, the curator had mysteriously died…

Shadi could hardly feel for this man. The curator may have been a friend of this person, but anyone whom violated the Valley of Kings had to be punished. Before he began his judgment, however, he would have to use the Millennium Key to peer into the man's mind and find evidence of his crime…

With a silent click and a flash of light, Shadi had left the office and was standing in the Professor's soul-room. It was full of ancient artifacts, bookshelves, and pictures of old ruins…at least at first glance. The man was obviously obsessed with archaeology. In the corner, however, was a dusty family photograph. He had gone too far in with his work and neglected his family. Overall, the room was gloomy, symbolizing the man's anxiety and dread over the curator's fate…but in the corner was a small light of hope. Shadi approached it.

Yoshimori had some friends arriving that day…and one of them was Yuugi.

Shadi's gaze turned stern. Yuugi…the boy that had solved the Millennium Puzzle was coming here. It was too convenient for words. He could judge this man and finish his business with the boy at the same time. All he had to do was remodel this man's soul-room to make him a puppet for drawing out the other Yuugi…and perhaps it would serve as a rightful judgment for his wrongdoings, intentional or not.

"Here we are!" Sugoroku announced happily. The university seemed somewhat gloomy at night, but the group knew that there was not really anything out of place. At least, that's what they thought they knew. Yuugi still had a strange feeling that something was wrong, and something kept tugging at his mind, but he did his best to remain calm. After all, he was only going to visit a friend.

As they finally reached the office, the group barely had to call out a greeting when they saw the Professor turn around and greet them. "I'm so happy you came!" he said grandly, but Yuugi could still tell that there was a hint of emptiness in his voice. "Come in, come in!"

As everyone stepped forward, no one noticed Yuugi acting hesitant. "He sure seems cheerful," Jounouchi commented silently before turning to the professor again. "Ah, sir, I wanted to thank you for showing us around the museum…"

Anzu thrust her face into the palm of her hand. Jounouchi had already screwed up and they had only been here less than thirty seconds. Strangely enough, the Professor hardly seemed bothered by the comment. "The museum…heh…" He turned his head at an odd angle to view his visitors. "Someone…killed…the curator…heh…"

Yuugi immediately knew something was wrong. He might have only known Yoshimori for a day, but he knew well enough that he'd never act like this.

"Professor," Sugoroku asked, face filled with concern, "Is something wrong?"

"No, of course not…I was just waiting…for Yuugi…"

_**Don't fall for it. Get out of there.**_

Yugi stood in hesitation when he heard the voice. _Who…?_ He began, but he still got a distinct urge to run and leave the place behind. Before he could act on either decision, the professor dashed forward and grabbed Jounouchi by the throat, choking him. Yuugi raced forward, eyes wide in terror. He cried out, trying to get the professor to come to his senses, but it was no use.

"I want to see the other Yuugi…"

It was at that moment that Yuugi noticed someone else standing nearby…a dark-skinned man wearing white robes and a turban, and a large, ankh-shaped key strung around his neck. It was the Egyptian from the previous day.

"Please excuse my puppet's impoliteness," Shadi said coldly.

Yuugi could hardly believe what was going on. "What have you done to him?!" He demanded, terrifed.

Shadi seemed to ignore the question. "If my theory is correct, then I will soon reunite with him…the other Yuugi."

_What's going on? Why is he so set on seeing some other me?_

Something started pulling desperately at Yuugi's mind, but he thoroughly ignored it…or was he pushing it away? He knew for sure that his memory lapses had something to do with it, and it always came whenever Yuugi felt exceedingly afraid or…

Sugoroku pulled desperately at the professor's arms, but they wouldn't budge. Anzu, whom had also tried, noticed a globe on a desk nearby. Racing over and picking it up, she reared it back. "Professor," she cried, "Forgive me for this!" She slammed the globe into the professor's head, knocking him backward and causing his grip to fall from Jounouchi, whom began gasping for air.

"Nice shot, Anzu!" Yuugi cried.

Anzu just winced. "I may have hit him too hard," she muttered, noting the teeth that had popped right out of the Professor's mouth when he had been struck.

But the Professor was already standing up again. "Not hard enough, Anzu!" Jounouchi cried, finally regaining his breath.

Shadi was stunned. One puppet was definitely not enough. He had to make another one to draw out the boy's other persona…

"Everyone, run!" Anzu shouted.

The man was quick to notice who would be right for the job. Shadi lifted the Millennium key and aimed it for Anzu. It clicked, and he dove into yet another soul-room.

What he found within surprised him. There were mirrors lining the walls, like a dance studio…the girl was obviously very confident in herself. There were pictures of dancers everywhere, and also of the Statue of Liberty. Dreams everywhere…this girl definitely pursued them with great perseverance. Nearby, however, was a photo of a faceless hero. Having no idea what it meant, he passed it by.

The girl was innocent and amiable…Shadi knew it would be a shame to use her as a puppet, but he had to do something to force Yuugi into action.

He narrowed his eyes, lifting the Millennium Key into the air in front of him. _Forgive me for using you like this, but I must draw him forth…_

* * *

The professor was making a mad dash toward Jounouchi again. Sugoroku stepped in front of him as soon as he could. "Professor! Please! Don't you remember me?!"

Yoshimori paused for a brief moment, and Sugoroku smiled, hoping that the professor had snapped out of his trance…only to be uppercut and knocked out.

Jounouchi wouldn't take it anymore. He had to get the professor away from everyone before something happened. With a quick prayer, the blonde shouted at the professor as he stood in the doorway. "Hey, you! Tooth-face!" The professor spun around, and Jounouchi smacked his butt a few times. "You want a piece of this, zombie-boy?"

Apparently he did. Yoshimori took off like a madman after Jounouchi. Yuugi paused, beginning to run after them, until he noticed that Anzu was nowhere to be seen. He ran outside the room, gazing about wildly, and began running down the halls to find his friend. It didn't take very long; he spotted her heading to the rooftop, so he headed in that direction, racing up the stairs at top speed.

When he got to the roof, however, he saw something he truly did not expect.

Anzu was standing on a board, which was strapped to the fence lining the roof. The rope tying it went just through her fingers, and they were all tied to four small statues which were strapped to the other side of the fence. Another statue, a larger one, was tied to a strange-looking key…a key that he had seen somewhere before…

Yuugi's eyes widened considerably as he saw what was before him. "_Anzu!_" he shouted, but his friend did not even flinch.

Shadi, whom stood calmly nearby, narrowed his eyes in determination. "This girl is nothing more than my puppet," he said, directing his voice to Yuugi, "Without memories, a heart, or a voice. She will not move unless I command her to do so."

Yuugi stood on the spot, his body trembling in fear. He was paralyzed, unable to move. Something called out to him in his mind, but he barely heard it. He didn't know what was wrong with him, but he felt like his mind was thrashing about, trying to get _something _out…

"Listen, boy," Shadi said, noticing Yuugi's hesitation. "If I command this girl to die…then_ she will die!_"

There was hardly a moment to scream. Yuugi's eyes widened and he felt himself sinking into an endless abyss. Something burst from within his heart, and he could have sworn he had sunk to his knees.

Then, everything went white…

* * *

Jounouchi couldn't keep up this running forever, and he knew it. As he neared a corner, he skidded to a halt and spun around. The Professor rounded the corner toward him and Jounouchi threw his punch like he always did in a brawl. The professor was down for the count.

After a moment of smug victory, it suddenly dawned on Jounouchi that even though this man had tried to kill him for some reason, he still owed him. He approached the Professor and winced. "Are…you okay?" he muttered. "I'm sorry about your teeth, sir…but have you snapped out of it yet?"

Apparently, he hadn't.

Jounouchi yelped as the professor rose once again, racing at him as he took off down the corridor once more. Yoshimori was no longer the professor he knew the previous day…now he was just a zombie! What was he supposed to do now?!

* * *

_**Shadi!**_

Yuugi was absolutely infuriated. He glared daggers at Shadi, his hands balled into fists, his teeth clenched in anger. He was even trembling in rage.

"So," Shadi said calmly. "We meet again, other Yuugi."

But Yuugi wasn't listening. "How _dare_ you use Anzu in your game!"

"I will finish things with you no matter what the cost," Shadi replied coldly. "Yuugi…if you lose at this game, you will also lose that girl."

Yuugi scowled. Shadi wasn't leaving him much choice…but what exactly was he after?

"Before I explain the rules," Shadi began, his voice devoid of any emotion, "Let me say one thing. It may seem a coincidence that you managed to solve the Millennium Puzzle, but you're wrong." Shadi paused, waiting for Yuugi to change face. It didn't quite work as planned; Yuugi was paying attention, but he was still angry. "You see, it cannot be solved by anyone unless the spirit dwelling within wills it to be so. After waiting for three millennia, it _chose_ you. My family has also been chosen by the Millennium Items."

"Don't even _think_ about telling me we're supposed to be friends," Yuugi said darkly, not wanting to hear any more of Shadi's words. "I'm not interested in hearing that, not after what I've seen you do to Yoshimori and Anzu! Explain the rules!"

"Don't be frightened, Yuugi."

Yuugi paused. Frightened...? What did he mean?

"Somewhere within your heart," Shadi continued, seeing that his tactic was working, "You are truly afraid of the power that the Millennium Puzzle holds. Am I not right?"

As though on cue to Shadi's words, one of the four small statues shattered into fragments, causing the board that Anzu stood on to tremble. Yuugi froze in shock. "Anzu!"

"Yuugi, don't you realize that the game has already started?" Shadi gestured vaguely to the statues. Yuugi scowled, gritting his teeth as Shadi began. "Those statues represent your heart. If you show weakness, they will shatter, one by one. When they are all gone, you will lose the girl. To win, you must expose my own heart's weakness, which is represented by the larger statue that holds the Millennium Key. It will then slide down the rope and make contact with the girl's hand, returning her to normal."

Yuugi narrowed his eyes. "So before my statues break, I have to break yours?"

"Precisely," Shadi replied. "In this game, the one that shows a weakest heart will lose."

"A game to probe each other's weakness, eh?" Yuugi asked. It was clearly foul play. Not only had he failed to explain the rules before the game started – not even Yuugi would do that, no matter how desperate he was to win – but he was also wagering someone's life on the line.

"Let us begin," Shadi said. Promptly, the ground erupted and formed a hole, out of which a deadly monster arose, grabbing his arms and opening its great maw threateningly. Yuugi gritted his teeth as he struggled to escape the monster's grip.

"Yuugi," Shadi began, "To escape that Ammet, you must clear this ordeal." Nine slates, forming a perfect square in front of Yuugi, appeared on the ground, the center tile darker than the others. "Each of these tiles has only one other tile with the same exact image, and all the slates are a mirror image of the monster grasping you. There is one with a different image. Find out what it is, and you will clear this ordeal. However, you are not allowed to turn over _any_ of the slates."

_A mirror image of the monster…_

"You have five minutes. If you have not figured out the solution, you will lose."

Yuugi could hardly gather his thoughts. It was no use; his fear was too great to think. If he let his statues shatter, then Anzu would…

A cracking sound grabbed his attention. His head spun to the statues…one of the three was cracking! He turned back to the slates with a renewed resolve. _I won't let you die, Anzu…_

He examined the tiles closely, reflecting on Shadi's words. The tiles were a mirror image of the monster, and each had a pair except for one. _Mirror image…mirrors reflect someone's face,_ he thought. There had to be four pieces that matched, just like a game of Concentration. But there were nine. But if it was a mirror, then it reflected the monster…

He paused, catching his breath. _Pairs…and one… _His eyes lit up. _That's it! The eyes, the ears, nostrils and hands…then that only leaves…_ "The only singular thing it has is a mouth!"

The wind blew fiercely and the monster vanished, leaving Yuugi alone on the rooftop with Shadi before him, and Anzu on the board tied to the fence. The slates flipped over, and the center one, the one without a match, was the mouth. They vanished.

Anzu was safe…for now.

* * *

Jounouchi skidded to a halt. He was at a dead end! How would he get out now?!

The professor was nearing him, and Jounouchi had no choice. He grabbed a fire extinguisher, pulled the safety tab and sprayed it desperately, but the professor was fazed for only a moment before knocking it out of Jounouchi's hand.

Jounouchi had nowhere to run, and the professor shoved him out the window. Desperately, he grabbed onto a curtain, but it didn't last long, as he had to pin himself against the building to stay alive. He searched around for someone to save him – or perhaps something to help out – but as he looked up he saw a familiar person standing on a board that stretched above several stories.

It was Anzu…but what was she doing up there?

* * *

"Splendid job, Yuugi," Shadi said, his expression unchanging even as the boy scowled at him, "But we have only begun. Allow me to introduce you to your playmate for the next round."

Another wind whipped up, and as it dispelled, a familiar face with blank and angry eyes glared back at Yuugi, whom in turn blinked in shock. "Jounouchi?!"

Shadi didn't have to nod. "I have made that friend from your memory real…the one from the time when he bullied you."

Yuugi didn't get a chance to protest against Jounouchi's actions. The image of his friend swiftly approached Yuugi and tore the puzzle from around his neck, eyeing it in smug triumph. A number of the tiles on the roof suddenly fell away, leaving the two on the center pillar of the pit.

"Allow me to explain the rules," Shadi began, his voice still lacking emotion. "You will take turns rolling that puzzle like a die. Wherever it points, you will take a step in that direction. Whoever falls off the edge loses, and dies."

Realizing the direness of the situation, Yuugi's eyes widened. This was no doubt an illusion by Shadi again, but it could be something else, like Jounouchi under Shadi's control. _No…Jounouchi would never…_ "Jounouchi, I'm not going to play this with you."

But the illusion didn't even hear him. The fake Jounouchi gave him the old smirk he used to, and began to taunt him. "Is this _really_ your treasure, Yuugi? You're always acting like such a _girl_ about it."

Yuugi froze, feeling himself hesitate. Something within him cried out and struggled, something he recognized strongly: fear. Two of his statues nearby shattered at once, and the board holding Anzu up shook dangerously. Only one statue remained. The fear began to wrangle unconsciously for control, but Yuugi immediately pushed it down. Scowling, he turned back to the illusion. The illusion's words almost made his timid self jerk control back. He had to stay strong if he was going to save Anzu.

"Let's go," the illusion said flatly, rolling the puzzle. Yuugi stared at it for a moment, and stepped in the determined direction. The illusion of Jounouchi then picked up the puzzle. "Your turn, Yuugi."

Yuugi didn't move, but he did shake his head in denial. "No. I don't want to play this game with you, Jounouchi."

Shadi's eyes widened slightly. Yuugi was passing on his turn. Did he _want_ to lose?

Jounouchi's illusion picked up the puzzle, grinning. "Then I get to roll again, if that's the case." He did so, and it pointed in the same direction. Yuugi took another step. When the illusion noticed Yuugi not moving toward the puzzle, he laughed. "Don't tell me you're going to pass again? You're at the edge. One more step and you'll die."

But Yuugi didn't flinch. "I'm passing again."

Shadi narrowed his eyes. "Are you admitting defeat, Yuugi?"

Yuugi shook his head, facing Shadi with determination. "No," He said. "I'm not surrendering. I believe in my friend."

"Believe?" Shadi echoed. "Yuugi, you cannot face your own past. That is your weakness. Believing in others will be your ultimate downfall, as it will be now." He turned to his illusion. "Finish it."

But the illusion didn't move. It stared contemplatively at the puzzle, a thoughtful frown on its face.

Shadi's eyes narrowed sternly. "What are you waiting for? End it!"

The illusion still didn't move. Instead, it smirked, and slowly faded, causing the puzzle to fall to the ground from where it had been held. Shadi's eyes widened in shock.

Yuugi picked up the puzzle, tying it back around his neck. He turned a stern and narrow gaze to Shadi. "My friend is no longer as he was before," he said calmly, yet still angrily. "You cannot confuse me with an illusion."

A ripping sound caught Yuugi's attention. The weight of the board combined with Anzu's own weight was causing the only rope left to tear. Crying out, Yuugi raced toward her when the illusion of the abyss around him faded.

To his surprise, however, the board slowly lifted up. Looking downward, Yuugi saw a familiar figure holding the board up, and this one was no illusion. "Anzu! I'm here, so don't worry!"

Yuugi smiled in triumph. It was Jounouchi...the _real_ Jounouchi.

Shadi, meanwhile, froze. _Impossible!_ He thought._ Those children are supporting each other! How…_

As though on cue, the large statue began to crack.

Yuugi turned to face Shadi again. "You still don't get it, do you? You believe _only_ in yourself…and that isn't the true path to strength. The power of trust between friends, however, is."

The large statue shattered, sending the Millennium Key sliding down the board to strike Anzu's hand. The brunette blinked in surprise as her eyes no longer were blank. "Where am I?" she wondered aloud.

She didn't have to wonder for long. When she looked down, she realized that she was three stories in the air. Screaming, she fell to her knees in terror. "What's going on?!"

"Hurry up and get back on the roof!" Jounouchi cried. "I can't hold this for much longer!"

Anzu glanced down to see her friend. "Jounouchi?!"

Jounouchi was also looking downward. The Professor, still under a trance, was climbing up the building toward him. _Is he ever going to give up?!_ "This isn't time for questions! Just go!"

Not daring to answer, Anzu turned and walked back to the fence, beginning to climb over. The professor grabbed Jounouchi's legs, causing the boy to lose grip. Anzu slipped and began to fall, expecting the ground to rush up toward her, but she was suddenly grabbed and pulled toward the fence by a face she somehow recognized.

_Is that_…_Yuugi?_

Yuugi turned his gaze to his blonde-haired friend. "Jounouchi! Touch that key to the Professor's hand!"

Jounouchi, not pausing to wonder why Yuugi was acting differently, grabbed the key and thrust it into the professor's hand. "Professor, don't look down!"

Yoshimori blinked. "What kind of greeting is that?" He asked. It took him only moments to realize that not only was he outside the building and on the third floor, but he had next to no teeth left.

Yuugi, meanwhile, glared daggers at Shadi, whom returned only a blank gaze. "Yuugi," the white-robed man said, "You've passed every test. I used my Millennium Items to show you illusions, hoping you'd be lured into darkness, and yet it seems that even through my power your friends believed in you and pulled you through. Perhaps my loss isn't such a sad thing." With that, he took his leave.

As Shadi turned and left, Yuugi glanced at the puzzle, contemplating Shadi's words. He had visited the day before, searching for the power of the Millennium Puzzle. When tested, his friends helped him and worked together, even when separated. When combined, their strength was powerful. _When combined_…_our strength is powerful. The Millennium Puzzle_…_its power_…

Perhaps _that_ was what the power of the Millennium Puzzle was…

* * *

Everyone was safely back on the roof, and Yuugi was standing in front of everyone, his back to them. He seemed so calm, but so distracted for some reason…Anzu, quick to take notice as usual, turned to ask her friend about it. "Hey, Jounouchi…"

Jounouchi glanced at his friend in worry. "What is it?"

Anzu shuffled uncomfortably as she began. "Well, just earlier, Yuugi seemed kind of…different."

The blonde-haired boy blinked. "I saw it too!" He said, eyes widening as he nodded. Turning to Yuugi, he reached out and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hey, Yuugi…"

Yuugi turned slowly around, blinking in surprise when he saw his friends behind him. "Is something wrong, Jounouchi?" He asked. "You look kind of tired…"

The two friends blinked. Yuugi seemed different before…but now he was just the same old timid guy they had always known. Jounouchi stood upright quickly, rubbing his head. "Ah, nothing!" He replied, quickly exchanging glances with Anzu. Maybe they had just imagined things.

As the group discussed going out to eat that night (Jounouchi was arguing with Anzu about Professor Yoshimori's teeth), Yuugi couldn't help but wonder…earlier the Professor was acting so strange, then he had seen that strange man in front of Anzu, telling him he could kill her…for a moment afterward, he thought he even saw Jounouchi with his puzzle, and now, here he was with everyone acting normally again. Something very strange was going on here…

And he was going to find out what it was.

* * *

Whew! That was weird. Writing an English Paper on Censorship in Anime at the same time, what a doozy. I hope this chapter came out well!


	9. The Blind Seer

You guys may also notice that the events are going out of order…I'm doing it this way because it'll end up lining up that way later. Don't worry, you'll be seeing Kaiba soon enough.

Anyway. Without further ado…time for some fake psychics! Yay! (And a slight Miho cameo, too!)

EDITED JUNE 06, 2008

**Yu-Gi-Oh  
The Shadow Games**

**Game Nine  
The Blind Seer**

_Shadow Games were first created to judge those that had done wrong. It is possible in most Shadow Games for the one being judged to win (albeit an extremely small chance), but only if they have any purity to show within their hearts. In the common case that one is to lose one of these games, one of two outcomes can occur._

_The least consequential is for the judged to admit their crimes and accept their loss. In this case, the judged would stand for a much less burdening sentence. The more severe would occur if the judged refuse to accept loss and break the rules of the Shadow Game, in which they suffer not their original sentence, but a penalty game that can drive them to the borders of insanity or beyond it. Some are even known to have been killed in such cases._

_Because of this, the shadow games were eternally locked away so that it would not fall into the wrong hands. But as we all know, even eternity does not last forever…_

* * *

Domino High School was once again going through a strange turn of events, which was quite a normal occasion. A new student had arrived again, and he had already gained a large following of fans.

"Out of the way!" A young woman cried. "Kokurano is passing!"

Behind her and several other girls – whom were all adorned with beads and headbands – strode a young man, adorned in a thick, heavy cloak, a broad headband, and several bead necklaces. His hair was thick and hung just over his shoulders, and his gaze was low and eerie. Many of the students watched in awe as he passed, jaws gaping at the very sight of the young man.

One group of students, however, was far from impressed.

Jounouchi sighed. "What's with the crowd?"

"Didn't you hear?" Anzu replied. "That's the transfer student who apparently has supernatural powers or something."

"Supernatural powers?" Honda asked, skeptical.

Anzu nodded. "He can see into the future, and everyone says he's really accurate."

Yuugi thought lightly on the subject. The girls at the school recently stopped favoring the cafeteria as their hangout spot. They must have been headed to Kokurano to have their fortunes told.

"He recently made a prediction about someone in Class 1-A," Anzu continued. "The prediction was that his house would be set on fire. It came true just as he said, and he suddenly got really popular." She eyed the boy passing her. "But I don't believe in that stuff…"

Anzu hardly noticed that Kokurano was eyeing her as he passed…and the look was more than just admiration.

Jounouchi's own eyes glinted. "I want to get my fortune told, too!" he cried. He promptly received a glare from Anzu, but he vaguely ignored her. "Come on, Yuugi! Let's get our fortunes told at lunchtime!"

Yuugi smiled sheepishly. "Er, Jounouchi…" But even as he protested, Jounouchi grabbed his friend's arm and dragged him along. Anzu sighed, shaking her head, and walked to the cafeteria.

* * *

The room was filled with girls. Jounouchi and Yuugi were near the back of the line. Kokurano was smiling faintly, his eyes closed. His first prediction of the day was for the beauty of a rather unsightly girl, and both newcomers and old visitors alike were impressed. Yuugi was somewhat impressed with him, but next to him, Jounouchi seemed to scowl. The room was full of girls, and he was the only guy in there aside from Yuugi and Honda. He'd look incredibly stupid if he didn't cover up for himself, so with great gusto, he made a bold comment. "Aw, geez! Honda wanted his fortune told so badly, he dragged me along with him!"

Honda, who had ended up coming along just to make sure Jounouchi didn't cause trouble, glared at his friend angrily, his face turning red. "You moron! Don't drag me into this!"

"_Silence!_" One of the girls cried. "Kokurano is focusing with all of his mind!"

"Sorry," Yuugi said sheepishly as his friends scowled at each other.

"Sorry about that," Jounouchi repeated once he had moved up in line. "Well, how about telling me my fortune?"

Kakurano looked up slyly. "I'm not a fortune teller. It's quite different. Palm reading, divination, water reading, fortune telling, astrology, feng shui…previous fortune telling was merely based on previous information. It's only the past. However, I have an ability that allows me to see visions of the future. It's prophecy."

Jounouchi suddenly looked skeptical. "Well, whatever. Take a look." He offered his hand.

The cloaked boy shook his head in disappointment. "You don't understand at all, do you…"

"Hold it!" Honda cried, pointing at the board behind the young man. "The use of a beautification tool for something like this…you should be-"

Kakunaro interrupted the brown-haired young man. "I see a vision of you marrying the woman of your dreams!"

Honda's mind was instantly diverted.

At that moment, the entire world around them began to tremble. Yuugi, along with many of the other students, ducked down for cover; how could an earthquake come at this time?! Amazingly, Kakurano was still calm. As soon as it had begun, however, it stopped. "That was a close one," Jounouchi muttered.

One of the girls turned to the psychic boy. "Kakunaro, are you alright?"

Kakunaro didn't even have to nod. "Of course. I knew about this, after all." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a slip of paper with writing on it. "I wrote this just this morning after a vision so I wouldn't forget." As the girl held it up, the writing was revealed:

_Today there will be an earthquake._

Everyone applauded, even Jounouchi and Honda. Yuugi, however, didn't seem impressed at all. Something about this whole façade seemed incredibly fishy to him…something bad was about to happen.

* * *

"How'd it go?" Anzu asked when her friends arrived in the cafeteria, deciding not to ruin their fun.

"He's the real thing!" Jounouchi cried triumphantly. "My future is apparently to be a policeman in Los Angeles!"

"I don't believe _that_ in the slightest," Anzu replied quietly, causing Jounouchi to recoil and begin a fruitless argument on his own behalf. Honda was lost in his own thoughts, and his eyes traveled across the room to Miho at the other end.

Yuugi glanced back and forth between his friends. They really seemed to believe the boy, but those kind of prophecies were usually just tricks. Even so he smiled. _That's fine…magic is just like some sort of game. Exposing the trick is against the rules, right?_

Later that day, Anzu approached Yuugi near the school exit. "Yuugi, wanna stop by somewhere on the way home?"

"What about your job?" Yuugi asked meekly. He really wanted to go out with Anzu – he really, _really _wanted to – but he couldn't get in the way of her job.

"I'm off today," the brunette replied, smiling warmly. "We can stop by the teahouse if you want. It'll be my treat. What do you say?"

Yuugi nodded eagerly. "Sure, sounds like fun!" Inwardly, of course, he was cheering himself on. _Yes! A date with Anzu!_

Anzu nodded, somewhat noticing Yuugi's excitement. "Okay, let's go!"

They had hardly taken a step when Kakunaro and his group appeared nearby. "Anzu," he called. "I've been looking for you."

Yuugi hesitated. Something told him that this wasn't good. As he turned his gaze to Kakunaro, he heard the boy speak calmly, yet the words were somehow filled with suspicion. "You're not the only girl that hasn't visited me yet," the psychic said. "Aren't you interested in your future?"

Anzu shook her head, still smiling as though it were no big deal. "I don't believe in that sort of thing."

"You doubt Kakunaro's power?!" One of the boy's groupies declared.

"Whether I believe it or not is _my_ choice," Anzu shot back, now somewhat angry. Her gaze had lost the sweet smile from before; now it was stern. "I'm not going to get pushed into having my fortune told, whether I believe or not. Come on Yuugi."

Yuugi nodded, smiling inwardly as he followed. Anzu could always be counted on to get out of a mess like this. Besides, she wouldn't be the type of person to believe in psychics or magic tricks.

Kakunaro sneered. So what if there were people that didn't believe in his power? They'd learn soon enough. As he walked away, he began formulating a plan in his mind.

* * *

The next day before gym class, Jounouchi ended up walking out of the dressing room feeling stiff…or at least, that's what he told his friends. It really wasn't like him to act like that, but knowing him it could be something to get out of class. Anzu caught notice quickly. "What's wrong?" She asked. "You look awful."

Jounouchi rolled his eyes. "At least you're a girl," he replied, sounding tired even though gym class hadn't even started. "_You_ get to play tennis. _I_ have to take _Judo_! I feel so sore…" (1)

"What are you talking about?" Honda said, staring blankly at his friend. "Judo is the basics of being a man! Besides, how can you even feel tired before the class starts?"

But Jonouchi wasn't listening. He had spotted Kakunaro walking down the hall toward them, two of his groupies next to him. "The boy with psychic powers!" The blonde cried in triumph. He practically skidded on his knees toward him. "What do you have to tell me?"

Kakunaro shook his head, looking somewhat nervous. "Actually, I just had two visions. I came to tell you of them."

"Visions?" Anzu echoed, crossing her arms. "We don't have time for this nonsense…"

Anzu's comment went ignored. "You!" Kakunaro announced as he pointed at Jounouchi. "Be wary of light coming at you."

Jounouchi blinked. "Huh…?"

Kakunaro ignored him. "And you," he said, pointing to Anzu. "Masaki. In places you don't know, there is a man watching over you."

Yuugi was somehow not surprised by the message. Something in his mind told him that Kakunaro was telling the right prophecy, all right…but he was referring to someone he didn't expect himself. Yuugi had no idea where the thought came from, but he turned his gaze to Anzu, hoping to get a hint of meaning from her.

Anzu turned away, blushing. "What's that?"

"If you want details, see me after school," Kakunaro replied simply.

"I'm not interested," Anzu replied firmly, turning her head in defiance.

"Really?" Kakunaro began, looking miffed.

Jounouchi intervened at just the right time. "Kakunaro, what is this coming light? Is it something ominous?"

Anzu took the cue and walked stiffly away, Kakunaro's gaze following her. Yuugi felt that something bad was about to happen. Tugging at his gi, he headed for the gym and decided to think on it later.

* * *

While everyone was practicing in class, Yuugi practiced his back-falls on the mat far away from the other students so as to stay out of the way. At one point he felt need to catch his breath, and simply stared at the ceiling while lost in thought. _Is there really a man watching over Anzu?_ He wondered, even though he was somehow sure that there was.

Before he could ponder further, Honda preformed a nearly flawless side throw on Jounouchi, sending him crashing right on top of Yuugi, whom ended up gasping for breath and completely derailing his train of thought. Honda began taunting Jounouchi, whom then ran for his friend to tackle him again. Above their heads, one of the studio lights began trembling.

Yuugi opened his eyes just in time to shout in fear and roll out of the way just in time…

* * *

Anzu splashed some water on her face as class ended. _Someone watching over me…_ She pondered. After contemplating it for a moment, she shook her head, taking a deep breath of the afternoon air. It was such a nice day outside…maybe she could take Yuugi out again if she had the time.

Unknown to her, her classmate approached her silently. Miho had always been a playful type, and had her own rag at ready. At the opportune moment, she pounced forward and wrapped her towel around Anzu's eyes. "Guess who, Anzu!" She cried, giggling.

"Stop it, Miho!" Anzu replied playfully, smiling until suddenly she paused. Her memory of that terrifying time in the restaurant returned to her as though it had happened only moments before, the sounds replaying in her ears…

A hand grapping her arm, pulling her out of danger. A stern voice calling out to her.

_Let's go, Anzu._

She paused, staring into open space. The voice she had heard in the restaurant that day… Could it be that what Kakunaru was referring to...?

Miho blinked in surprise. "Anzu? What's wrong?"

Anzu shook her head. "Nothing, nothing…"

Several girls approached, already full of gossip even though Gym class hadn't even ended. "Did you hear what happened in the gym? A light from the ceiling fell and almost crashed on top of Jounouchi!"

_Be wary of light coming at you._

Upon hearing this, Anzu's eyes widened. Was Kakunaro really…?

The girls continued. "There's a big ruckus about that prophecy coming true. Jounouchi is really shaken up!"

Anzu froze. If that prophecy was true, then maybe…maybe Kakunaro would know about _him_… But if it wasn't that man, then who was it?

* * *

That day after classes had ended, Yuugi was accompanying Anzu down the hall to where Kakunaro was supposed to be. "Anzu," he asked, "Why do you want to see him all of the sudden? I thought you didn't believe in that stuff…"

Anzu shook her head. "I just want to." She couldn't tell Yuugi about what she really though…he wouldn't believe her. Even if he did, he said he hadn't remembered what happened that day, so how would she explain?

Yuugi, however, was acting completely different. He was gazing at the floor in what seemed like sadness or disappointment…like he had gotten his feelings hurt. "Maybe…" he began. "You thought of a man watching over you, like he said?"

She couldn't tell him…she just couldn't. Instead, Anzu shook her head, avoiding the subject of her faceless rescuer. "Not really, but Jounouchi's prediction was right, so…it might not be bad to see him just this once." With that, she began to walk off.

Yuugi called out to his friend, but she kept walking. He knew something wasn't right, so he followed her closely. Sure enough, Kakunaro was waiting for her. "I knew you'd come," he stated, pulling out a slip of paper. Yuugi read it in shock.

_Masaki Anzu will come after school._

"You have no more reason to doubt my power, do you?" Kakunaro said slyly. Yuugi didn't like the look in his eyes…not one bit. He kept his suspicions inward, however. He couldn't risk upsetting Anzu.

Anzu turned away, looking uncharacteristically shy, but not looking very pleased at the same time. "Can you tell me about the vision you told me about before…?"

"Very well…let me see your hand."

She gave her hand to him. He began examining it closely, rubbing it carefully. Anzu had looked away, but Yuugi knew bad news when he saw it. _What does he think he's doing? How rude…_ His thoughts somehow betrayed his own enraged emotions, however, though Yuugi had no idea how. Now that he thought about it, Jounouchi had showed him his hand and Kakunaro had refused it, saying that he did not see the future in such a way.

"I see! _I see!_ It is a vision of you!" Kakunaro seemed much more excited about his visions than before. Yuugi backed away a few steps. "The man that has been watching you from the shadows will soon show himself before you!"

Anzu seemed surprised. "Really?!" She cried, smiling.

Kakunaro nodded. "Tonight at six-o'clock in the evening. Wait in the science room. There, you will probably put yourself right into his hands."

Yuugi's eyes widened. Kakunaro was lying through his teeth! He was only setting this up to trap Anzu, he knew it!

Anzu's thoughts were elsewhere as she blushed. _The man with that voice…perhaps it's the one that…_

Yuugi wouldn't take it any longer. He couldn't stand seeing his best friend falling for such a trick. The boy raced forward, jerking Anzu's hand away from Kakunaro. "This is a fraud!" He cried.

The groupies around Kakunaro were utterly shocked, and Anzu even widened her own eyes. Kakunaro stood, silencing his followers. "What an interesting thing to say," he replied casually. "You're saying my power is false?"

Yuugi wouldn't fall for this smooth talk. "I've seen tricks like that before!" He continued. "The notes you wrote…you could have just written a ton of them and put them all in your cloak! That way whatever happened, you could just pull out any one of them that took place!"

Unconsciously, Kakunaro pulled his cloak close to him. "It's true that there are tricks like that," he said slyly, hoping he could get out of this one, "But how would you explain my other predictions?"

"I don't know," Yuugi replied angrily, his next words somehow betraying his own deep inner thoughts, "But the prediction that someone is watching over her is a lie!" _But why do I get the feeling that it's true…?_

_**Perhaps it is, but this boy is a fool.**_

Yuugi paused in shock. The voice again…who was it…?

Kakunaro noticed Yuugi's unrelated hesitation and began acting strangely again. "I see!" he cried frantically. "I see your future!" After a moment, he pointed directly toward Yuugi, his finger inches from the boy's nose. "Countless words will fall from heaven. A dangerous misfortune could befall you!" After catching his breath, the psychic smirked. "You should be careful, boy."

Yuugi was terrified. Kakunaro may have been a fake, but with such gusto in _that_ prediction, maybe he wasn't wrong…or maybe he was just angry.

* * *

That evening when they were headed down the hall, Anzu noticed that Yuugi was feeling far more depressed than normal. In an attempt to lighten his spirits, she sent him a warm smile. "Cheer up, Yuugi. It's not like all predictions come true."

Yuugi paused. For some unknown reason, he was very concerned about Anzu. Sure, he liked her a lot, but…there must have been something else in play here. He just had an eerie feeling about all of this. "You're still going, aren't you…?"

Anzu laughed sheepishly. "I guess I am a bit interested," she replied, blushing. Yuugi was a lot smarter than he appeared… "It might just end up being a stalker, though. At any rate, don't worry Yuugi. I'll see you later!"

With that, she took off running. Yuugi called out to her to stop, but she kept going. He felt so awful all of a sudden…what was wrong with him? It wasn't any of his business if she had fallen in love with someone, but…he had exposed the trick just because he was jealous. He felt so ashamed. He even started to hate himself for it…he had spoiled it for Anzu…

Yuugi was about to step on it, but he suddenly noticed a bright red book on the floor. He paused, blinking. Maybe someone had dropped it and forgot to put it back in the library. He picked up the book and began looking around for its owner. Noticing that no one else was there that had taken it out, he shrugged and headed to the library alone.

The shelf wasn't hard to find. As Yuugi began to replace the book, however, he heard the sound of shelves toppling over. Glancing around the side of the shelves, he gasped. The bookshelves were toppling toward him like a pile of dominos.

_**Countless words!?**_

The shelves neared, and he gasped in terror, unable to move. A flash of light blinded his vision…

* * *

Yuugi had barely managed to jump out of the way unharmed; his hand had been scraped on the wood just as he had dodged the tumbling bookshelves. Glancing to the side, he noticed a familiar cloak vanishing from the room as the dust cleared. He figured out the mystery quickly: Kakunaro had lured him into the trap, and was making all of his own prophecies come true by himself in order to gain popularity. There was, however, another prediction that didn't take long for the boy to remember. He didn't need much time to figure it out.

_Anzu!_

* * *

Anzu sat patiently on a desk. The sun was setting, and if Kakurano was right, then the man that had saved her before would be here again…

But who was that person? He sounded like he was her own age. Perhaps he was even from this school if he was to meet her in this room. Whoever he was, she had to thank him…but was it really the person that saved her? She straightened herself, knowing that she shouldn't get her hopes up…all she knew was his voice, not even how he looked.

The door suddenly opened nearby, and Kakunaro entered the room, his eyes locked on the floor. Anzu stared suspiciously as he neared her. He had tricked her! Of course! She should have known when he rubbed her hand so much and when Yuugi pointed out the fraud…

Kakunaro looked up. "Looks like my prophecy was correct?" He said malevolently.

Anzu shook her head. "What are you saying?" she said sternly. "No one's here."

Before she could react, Kakunaro reached around and forced a cloth over her nose and mouth. "Ah, but there is, and he's right here!"

_He was after this from the very beginning!_ Anzu thought. Before she could physically protest, her body felt incredibly weak, and she could no longer move.

Kakunaro laughed. "See?" he said, knowing Anzu would be conscious for a little while longer. "Your destiny is to put yourself right into my hands!" _As long as I have these powers, I'll be eternally popular!_

"I wonder about that."

Shocked, Kakunaro spun around toward the doorway to see something he didn't expect. Someone was standing, leaning against the doorframe, sending a sinister glare toward him. What's worse, the psychic recognized him. "Looks like your prediction about me was wrong," Yuugi said darkly. "You're quite a poor seer."

"Wha-! How did you…"

"All of your predictions are fake," Yuugi continued. "The fire, the light in the gym…You did it all yourself just so that you could _pretend_ to be psychic. You even fooled me…for a while."

This boy knew his secret, Kakunaro was sure of that now. Still, he kept a straight face as he always did. "What could you mean?"

Yuugi's gaze did not falter. "Play dumb if you want. It's time for a little game, Kakunaro."

Anzu's eyes barely opened, and she saw a few blurry figures around her. She recognized the voice, however; it was the one that she had heard in the restaurant. She attempted to awaken, eager to finally see her rescuer's face. Unfortunately, her vision was faltering, and the drowsiness was setting in rapidly. Her eyes closed again, and she fell fast asleep.

"To challenge a psychic like me," Kakunaro said, scowling, "You've got to have some serious guts…"

Yuugi simply smirked, holding up a bottle full of a strange substance, then gesturing to the ones hanging from the roof. "We will be using these chloroform bottles in this game," he said, grinning. "If you win, I won't say anything, and I'll leave."

"That's fine," Kakurano said, smirking. "And how do we play this game?"

Yuugi pointed to a clock nearby. "Starting now," he began, "Every minute the long hand will cut a string. It is completely unknown which string connects to which bottle, even to me. We take turns catching the bottles as they fall. If we're too slow, well…the bottles all contain chloroform. Considering the fact that you used it on Anzu, I'm pretty sure you know what'll happen if it's used on you."

Kakurano scowled. If one of those bottles hit the ground and he didn't catch it, he'd lose consciousness as well as be exposed. Just what was this boy planning…?

"It will be very close," Yugi continued, somewhat noticing Kakunaro's anxiety. "And you only have a moment to decide which one to go after. I go first."

The clock's minute hand twitched forward and cut one of the strings. The bottle fell right into Yuugi's hand. "Looks like I got the very first one right," he said, smirking. "Your turn, Kakunaro."

Kakurano turned his gaze to the bottles, trying to keep a straight face. One of the rules of games was to always look like you were winning, but on the inside he was a nervous wreck. _Which one will fall? I can't risk losing…_

Once more, the clock's minute hand inched forward, clipping another string. Frantically, Kakurano raced forward, catching a bottle just in time. He laughed manically. "What do you think?!"

"Not bad," Yuugi replied. "My turn."

The minute hand ticked once again, and Yuugi raced to catch the bottle. Kakunaro stuck his foot out in front of Yuugi, tripping him. He smirked in triumph; he would definitely win! He watched as Yuugi raced forward, his hand outstretched. There was no way he'd catch the bottle at this rate.

Yuugi knew he wouldn't make it. In desperation, he took off his Millennium Puzzle and threw it at the bottle. The rope wrapped around the lip, and the point stuck in the wall. The bottle had not shattered on the floor, and was barely saved. Yuugi turned to Kakurano. "Is tripping people your power?"

"I don't know anything about that!" Kakunaro insisted, shaking his head innocently. He could tell, however, that Yuugi was not convinced.

"Fine," Yuugi said as he walked toward the bottle. "If that is your power," he began, pulling the puzzle from the wall and returning it to his neck, "Then _this_ is mine."

Kakurano scowled. Yuugi ignored him, turning his attention to the two remaining bottles as though it were to complete his statement. "The only ones left are on either end. If you mess up, then there's no cover." He then grinned, casting a glance to Kakunaro. "Of course, you're a psychic, aren't you? You should easily be able to tell which one it is."

Closing his eyes, Kakurano began to envision the bottles in his mind. He could see it…he could see the answer! He strode over to the bottle on the far end of the room, nearest to the door. "This one will fall!" He said, gazing up at it dazedly. The clock's minute hand ticked.

_The door to darkness has opened._

Kakurano spun around in time to see the opposite jar plummeting to the floor. He raced for it, hands outstretched, but he was too slow as it shattered, enveloping him in a thick mist of chloroform. He lay flat on his back, his mantle outspread, revealing countless tags of paper underneath them.

Yuugi shook his head. "My, my, my," he said mockingly. He looked away in disgust, not even smirking like he usually would. "Looks like he couldn't even predict his own future…" He turned to Anzu, picking her up and walking out calmly and sternly.

* * *

Anzu felt herself being carried by someone out of the school. It was amazing how much time had passed; it was already dark outside. But more importantly was what was going on. She looked up, seeing a strange shadow of someone carrying her on the wall. Someone had saved her again. The last thing she had remembered was passing out when she heard that familiar voice. As Anzu's gaze once more faultered, she noticed his scarred hand. _He's hurt…I should get him…medical…_

Before Anzu could make sense of anything, however, she felt drowsiness come over her again, and lost consciousness.

* * *

"I can't believe I believed him!" Jounouchi said, scowling. Everyone was heading home that day, and rumors had already gone around that Kakurano had faked all of his predictions. Someone had found him lying on the floor in the science lab with his coat wide open, all of his pre-written predictions.

Anzu smiled sheepishly. "I told you it's better to not know the future."

"He's the one that took the most damage this time," Jounouchi said, pointing at the sulking Honda walking nearby. "He's had a crush on Miho ever since he enrolled, and now that Kakunaro's been exposed he's been depressed."

"Anzu's right though," Yuugi said cheerfully. "It's better not to know our future."

The girl nodded in agreement. Even though Kakunaro's prediction had been correct – though not quite as he had intended – she never was able to find out who that person was that had saved her twice. Regardless of the fact, she still heard his voice in her mind.

_It's time for a little game…_

Honda turned around to his friends. "Hurry up you guys," he called. "We'll be late if we keep this up."

Yuugi nodded. "Come on, Anzu!"

Anzu nodded, beginning to follow when she paused, noticing something odd with Yuugi. His hand was scarred, quite similar to the person that had saved her just the night before. But Yuugi couldn't have been there…he had gone home afterward, right?

Or had he…?

* * *

What a weird chapter to write. O.o Next one is my favorite one!

(1) I really don't see why Jounouchi is complaining. I took Judo, and it was loads of fun. It kept me fit, too. I wish I was still taking it, it was loads of fun.


	10. An Explosive Date

EDITED JULY 08, 2008

Edit note: PENALTY GAME! (You'll get that once you read the chapter)

**Yu-Gi-Oh  
The Shadow Games**

**Game Ten  
An Explosive Date**

* * *

Police cars raced down the street to a large department store building. The officers and an inspector exited the vehicles as the customers and employees evacuated frantically. A bomb had been set up in the building.

On of the policemen promptly strode up next to the inspector. "This is the place, sir," he said shortly.

"Evacuate as many people as possible," The inspector said, "And have the bomb squad on standby." As the man nodded and hurried off, the inspector's cell phone rang. He answered it promptly. "Hello?"

"_Quiz time, inspector!"_

The inspector's eyes widened considerably. He recognized that voice anywhere; it was the bomber. "Quiz?! What're you-"

"_Get it right and I won't set off the bomb."_

"Enough!" The inspector cried. "Where is it?!"

"_It's simple. Big or small? The Department store has over 12 stories. Is the bomb above the seventh or below the sixth?"_

The inspector was angry. "I said stop screwing around!"

"_What's wrong? If you don't answer, I'll set it off anyway. Now, then…big, or small?"_

There was little choice. If the inspector didn't guess, then the bomb would go off, but there was a chance that he would be wrong and it be set off anyway. He despised these kinds of games, but he knew that there was no other option. He had to take the gamble. "Small!"

"_Small, you say?"_

Promptly, an explosion went off near the top of the building. People stared in horror as flames leapt out the window and smoke billowed toward the sky, the sound of the bomber laughing over the phone filling the inspector's ears.

"_Too bad, inspector! The bomb was on the __**ninth**__ floor!"_

* * *

Anzu passed by Yuugi on the way out of the classroom that afternoon, noticing him looking quite gloomy at a newspaper in front of him. Yuugi was generally a cheerful person; it wasn't like him to look so down. Deciding a conversation would help, she strode over to his desk. "What're you reading Yuugi?"

Yuugi sighed, glancing up at Anzu. Apparently his mood wasn't going to improve so easily. "There's a bomber on the loose."

Honda glanced up from putting his books into his backpack. "You mean those serial bombings?" He inquired.

"Yeah," Yuugi replied, nodding solemnly. "This is the third time this month. This time he gave a quiz to the police…"

Jounouchi blinked. "What kind of quiz?" he asked.

Yuugi shook his head, a rare expression of puzzlement on his face. "It doesn't say…"

As her friend pondered the article, Anzu was focused on something else. The person that had saved her the previous night had a scar on his right hand, just like the one Yuugi had. She began to think that the person that had rescued her was Yuugi, but she abandoned the thought._ The person that saved me is a lot different than the Yuugi I'm always hanging out with…_

With a quick glance around, Anzu noticed that Honda and Jounouchi had left the room to go to lunch, but Yuugi was still sulking at his desk. She looked back at the paper in attempt to ask Yuugi about last night, but found a much better idea. "Yuugi, look!" She said suddenly, excited. "The Domino Amusement Park's summer pool is open this weekend!"

Yuugi's attention was instantly diverted. If anything involved games or amusement parks, it was sure to cheer him up. He sent his usual jovial smile right Anzu's way. "Yeah! There's a water slide, too!"

Anzu returned the gesture. "Wanna go with me tomorrow?" she asked. "It's Sunday then, so there's no school or anything."

"Sure!" Yuugi said, excited. "I _love_ amusement parks!"

"It's decided then," Anzu said, picking up the paper. "What time does it open…?"

Just outside the room, Jounouchi and Honda were eavesdropping. Jounouchi gave his friend an odd look. "Did you hear that?" He said quietly.

"I sure did," Honda replied. "She's going out on a _date_ with Yuugi…"

Jounouchi cocked an eyebrow in thought. "They say they're just childhood friends," he responded, "But…maybe they're secretly going out?"

Honda shrugged. "We should probably go see for ourselves."

"Yeah," Jounouchi began, "But Anzu and Yuugi…" He thought about it for a moment, but the only image he managed to get into his head that would fit was one of them both riding a roller coaster, with Anzu bravely standing up and Yuugi clinging for dear life and screaming. Jounouchi repressed a laugh. _It's so likely, it's scary…_

* * *

Yuugi and Anzu arrived the next afternoon at the amusement park, completely unaware of the fact that Jounouchi and Honda were secretly watching them. Yuugi was the first to speak, but it was incredibly hard for him. "Anzu, I've been wondering, since it's just us, is this…a d-da…"

Anzu quickly avoided the subject. "I almost forgot… We need to buy entry tickets."

"I'll buy them!" Yuugi said with great zeal, and was by the entry stand in a flash. "Two students, please!"

The lady at the desk smiled. "A student and a child, right?"

"…Eh?"

"Young man, elementary school students get the children's price."

Yuugi's face flushed crimson. "Knock it off! I'm a high school student!"

* * *

The police office was quiet for a while. The inspector had sweat rolling down his forehead as he went through the files for the bomber case. The silence was, however, very quickly interrupted when he received a phone call from a very familiar person.

"_It's quiz time!"_

The inspector sneered angrily, giving his phone the death grip as he slammed his fist into his desk, startling nearby employees. "What do you want this time?!" He bellowed.

"_It sure is hot. Where's a good place you'd like to go out in this heat?"_

"Damn you!" The inspector cried. "Answer the question!"

"_It's a quiz. If you do it, I'll tell you something good! Now…will the temperature at eleven o'clock be above or below twenty-eight degrees? The answer will be announced on the weather report at that time. Now…big, or small?"_ (1)

* * *

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Yuugi felt somewhat foolish in his swimming trunks – he wasn't the best swimmer around, that was for sure – but Anzu looked absolutely incredible in her own swimsuit, making the humiliation even worse for him. Jounouchi and Honda, whom were hiding nearby, were just as shocked.

Anzu and Yuugi went on the water slide first. Just as Jounouchi had envisioned, Anzu was having the time of her life while Yuugi was scared out of his wits. When the ride finally ended, Anzu was laughing in excitement. "That was so much fun!"

Yuugi coughed a bit and nervously agreed.

"Should we go again?"

He then suppressed a wince and nodded. Fortunately for him, however, Anzu decided to relax by the pool later, giving him a chance to relax. It was still awkward; Anzu fit in perfectly on the lounge chair, but Yuugi barely even spanned half of it (not to mention the fact that he looked a lot younger than he really was made him look just plain silly).

Jounouchi and Honda, nearby, just shook their heads. It was obvious that Yuugi really liked Anzu – it was clearly written on his face ever since the restaurant incident – but what about Anzu? What was she after? She was a clever girl, and they had a hunch she was here for more than just to spend time with Yuugi…

* * *

Anzu smiled. The sun was really bright…she felt incredibly relaxed. If she stayed here too long, she'd end up with more of a tan than she wanted. Hopefully Yuugi was relaxed enough by now, too. Deciding to ask Yuugi about the scar on his hand, Anzu sat up. As she looked over to start a conversation with Yuugi, however, she noticed something…different. She squinted a bit to take a better look. Yuugi had sat up, a stern, strict look on his face. He seemed completely different than the Yuugi she knew.

Before any guesses could be made, however, someone spayed Yuugi in the face with a water gun, causing him to take off running after the assailant. Anzu chucked. Yuugi couldn't possibly have had such a look on his face…he was just like a kid. She lay back down, sighing. _But if Yuugi really was the one who saved me…maybe he'll come when there's danger?_

The decision was made. As Yuugi came back, he found Anzu flailing about in the pool, shouting in desperation. "Help! I'm drowning! Save me!"

Yuugi was off like a rocket, and he leapt right into the pool after Anzu…but moments later, two men arrived on the scene to help her out before she could flail more. At the same time, another one headed for Yuugi, whom Anzu suddenly learned didn't know how to swim. Anzu tilted her head. _Maybe that's not what it takes to see him…_

Jounouchi, nearby, rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Sheesh," he muttered. "They don't match at _all_…"

* * *

"The eleven-o'clock temperature is twenty eight point two degrees," The inspector echoed. "Damn. It's big." The phone rang, and he picked it up.

"_Too bad, inspector, but it would be __**far**__ too boring if it ended here. Here's another quiz: On hot days like this, people usually go to a pool…and __**where**__ is the biggest pool in Domino City?"_

The criminal hung up. "Damn," The inspector grumbled, glaring at his phone as though it were the cause of all his problems. He turned to an officer nearby. "Where's the biggest pool in Domino?!"

"Domino Amusement Park, sir."

"Let's go there, then."

* * *

"Are there any rides you don't like, Yuugi?" Anzu asked.

Yuugi shook his head, deciding not to mention that he was absolutely terrified at the water slide. "No, I like all of them!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Anzu noticed someone following them, and innocently looked away. "Let's go that way." And off they walked. The stranger followed them until Anzu cleverly turned a tight corner and stopped, causing the stalker to walk right into her.

"Pervert!" Anzu cried. "Yuugi, he touched me in a weird place!"

Yuugi blinked, and looked at the person following them. "Erm…Jounouchi…?"

Anzu shook her head. "I knew it. Why were you following us, Jounouchi? We're not criminals."

"I wasn't following you!" The blonde insisted vehemently. "What're you implying?"

"Well," Yuugi said, trying his best to intervene before an argument broke out, "Since we're all here…we should play together."

_Play together… _Anzu caught an idea. Yuugi was good at games…perhaps that's what it took! "Yuugi, let's play tag next! You alone have to find me." With that, she ran off, Yuugi in hot pursuit.

Jounouchi narrowed his eyes in confusion. "What's with her?"

Honda wasn't far off, and approached with great dignity. "She's mad. You interfered with her date."

"Oh…"

* * *

Anzu sat in the third carriage of the Ferris Wheel, looking unhappily at the ground. _I finally had him alone, too…what am I supposed to do if Jounouchi and Honda intervene?_ Sighing in annoyance, she watched the ground carefully when the Ferris Wheel reached the top of the cycle. It wasn't tourist season, so Yuugi wouldn't be hard to spot. Then again, with a hairstyle like that, even being vertically challenged didn't stop him from being easy pickings from a crowd.

Yuugi promptly appeared below, searching wildly for Anzu. He paused in front of the Ferris Wheel to look around, but didn't get a chance to run again when an explosion caught his attention. He spun around just in time to see the Ferris Wheel stop…with Anzu trapped inside carriage number three. He cried out when he saw her, and Anzu pressed her hands against the glass windows. She wanted to see the other Yuugi…but this wasn't what she had in mind.

The loudspeaker came on. _"May I have your attention, please. There is a bomb in the amusement park."_

Anzu recoiled in shock. "Bomb?!" she cried silently. The pieces began to put themselves together in her mind. Just the day before, Yuugi was looking at a newspaper article about a bomber. This couldn't be…it just didn't…

"_Everyone please follow police orders and evacuate the park immediately."_

Yuugi was too worried to follow the rampaging crowd out of the park, and was thus knocked backward. When the crowd had cleared away, he stood back up, his gaze locked on Anzu.

The inspector was at the scene moments later. He vaguely recognized the boy – Yuugi had been there when the inspector had followed an escaped convict to Burger World. Perhaps it was only a coincidence that he was here as well. "Why haven't you evacuated?" He asked Yuugi firmly.

"My friend is in there!" Yuugi cried, pointing to Anzu in the carriage.

A policeman arrived and reported. "Sir, there are people still on board the Ferris Wheel…carts three, six, and thirteen."

"What's wrong with the Ferris wheel?" Yuugi asked.

"There's a bomb somewhere on it," the inspector answered. As he said it, some policemen strode forward holding several different colors of balloons. It then occurred to Yuugi that the culprit here was the one he had read about just the day before. The man talking on the phone was somehow loud enough for him to hear…that, or he simply knew what the man was saying.

"_This one will be a bit tough. It's a game that requires lots of brains…"_

The inspector scowled. "_Game_?! Who would want to participate in _that_?!"

"_If you win, no one has to die. If you lose, well…I'm fairly sure you know what happens."_

"What kind of game is this?!" The inspector demanded angrily. Yuugi winced.

"_Try your luck first. Release a balloon. Any color will do."_

The inspector, after a moment of thought, released a white balloon. It floated up slowly in the air, and everyone watched it anxiously. For a moment it got caught on carriage number three, but eventually it flew away. There was no time to relax, however; an explosion was set off seconds later. Gondola number one had exploded. The policemen cried out in shock, but Yuugi barely heard any of them. "_Anzu!_"

"_So, then…here are the rules. I will blow up a gondola depending on which balloon you release. Your goal is to find out which balloon represents gondola number three."_

The inspector's face stiffened. A game where people's lives were at stake…he couldn't bring himself to participate. A policeman noticed his superior's tension, and stepped forward. "Inspector, can't you do it?"

The man shook his head at the policeman, a rare expression of helplessness on his face. "I don't have the confidence," he replied. "Is anyone here good at games?"

_**I am.**_

Yuugi felt himself stepping forward, and he barely recalled what happened afterward…

* * *

Anzu was trembling in absolute fear, begging silently for someone to rescue her. Below, the inspector looked around wildly. Two men with various-colored balloons stood nearby. Yugi stood next to the inspector, a worried look plastered on his face. The inspector looked clearly disheartened. He couldn't do this, he wasn't confident enough…someone should be able to solve this riddle…

"I accept."

The inspector turned incredulously to Yuugi. "Are you insane?!"

Anzu's eyes widened. _Yuugi? _But…was it really him? It looked like him, but something was…different…

Wordlessly, Yuugi took the phone from the inspector, earning a shocked look from the man. "Is that all for this game's rules?" He asked.

"_Oh? You accept, boy? That's fine. The time limit for the game is fifteen minutes. If you get the answer wrong or blow up a carriage with a passenger in it, you lose."_

_Fifteen minutes…_ Yuugi cast a glance at his watch. When fifteen minutes was up, it would be 1:05 in the afternoon. He didn't like the looks of this… "And if I don't find the answer within fifteen minutes…?"

"_Then you also lose that way, boy. The remaining bombs will all explode."_

Yuugi gritted his teeth. This man was treacherous…playing a game where people's lives were at stake…it disgusted him to no end.

"_Let's begin, then! Fifteen minutes left."_

Examining the gondola, Yuugi recalled the facts. The white balloon triggered the first gondola, but the gondolas were all the same. He turned around. "Is anyone here a member of the park's staff?" He asked sternly.

A young man in a janitor suit stepped forward, his expression tense and worried. "I am."

"Are those gondolas known by anything other than their number?"

The man shook his head. "No. We just call them by number."

"Do any of them have any differences?"

"No. They're all the same."

Yuugi picked up the phone again. He had to figure this out to save Anzu…but how? He had so little to go on…

"_If you don't know, then why not release a balloon? Here's a hint… Release a yellow one! Don't worry, it's safe. It's not a gondola with a hostage on board."_

Yuugi nodded and reached for a yellow balloon. "Are you mad?!" The inspector said.

"No," Yuugi replied, pulling out a balloon. "He's enjoying the situation. He wouldn't want his game to end here just yet." With that, he released it. As the balloon floated to the sky…another gondola blew up. Much to his shock, it was number ten. _W__hite is one…yellow is ten…what's the pattern?!_

"_Don't take too long! Half the remaining time is over."_

Startled, Yuugi looked at his watch. The man was right; half of the fifteen minutes were gone.

"_What's wrong? Don't tell me you regret looking so confident when you took the challenge! You can always switch with the inspector."_

Yuugi thought hard. He had _looked_ confident…the culprit had seen the look on his face, as well as the balloons being released…but the park was evacuated! Where was he?!

"_This is __**boring**__! I want some drama…release a balloon! A pink one is a good idea…"_

"Is it safe?" Yuugi asked.

"_Don't know. No more hints. I just want to see the pink balloon!"_

Yuugi hesitated. Was it a trap, or did he perhaps wanted more entertainment…

"_Hurry! If you don't release it, I'll blow up a gondola with a hostage in it!"_

There wasn't much of a choice. Yuugi released the balloon…and gondola four exploded. Anzu screamed in terror as shards of glass clattered against the side of her carriage.

"_Let's review. White is one, yellow is ten, and pink is four…so, which one is three?"_

"There's still time," Yuugi said confidently.

"_That's right! You still have five minutes, right?"_

"Do you know?" the inspector asked desperately.

Yuugi shot him a glare. "Don't you get impatient, too!" he said firmly, looking down at his watch anxiously. Numbers…colors…he couldn't figure it out, and now this man was mocking him. Watching anxiously as the second hand ticked, he dug through his mind for the solution. There were two minutes left.

_Wait!_ He cried._ A clock separated by color…a flower clock! Of course!_ He spun to the employee. "Does this park have a flower clock?!"

The man nodded. "Yes, it does."

"Which color represents three?!"

"I don't remember…"

Yuugi scowled. He didn't have time for this… "Where is it?"

"In the plaza. You can get there in two minutes if you run!"

That wouldn't do…Yuugi only had two minutes left. He looked around desperately, his gaze still firm, until he saw a drop tower ride not far from him. It was high enough… "That!" He cried. "Put me on that!" He took off running, the employees in hot pursuit.

"_One minute left."_

Anzu's eyes widened as she saw Yuugi race away from view.

"_Twenty seconds."_

The inspector, police and employee were running at top speed after Yuugi.

"_Nineteen…"_

Yuugi strapped himself into a seat.

"_Eighteen…"_

The seats rocketed into the air.

"_Seventeen…"_

As Yuugi rose rapidly upward, the sky rushed past him. He didn't flinch.

"_Sixteen…"_

Yuugi glanced to the side, seeing a flower clock below him. "I've got it!" he called into the phone. "Three is blue!"

"_Ping-pooong! You're correct!"_

_So the numbers really did correspond to the flower clock. _Yuugi smirked. What a simple solution.

"_So, let's end this game."_

Yuugi could see now what was going on. The Ferris Wheel had thirteen gondolas, but a clock only had twelve numbers. The culprit's hiding place became clear… "No," he replied calmly. "Let's continue. This time, _I_ specify where the bomb is, and _you_ have to guess its location."

"_You sure are interesting, kid! Okay, I'll play…but no change in the rules! Release a balloon."_

"The balloon I'm releasing…is white."

"_You already released a white balloon…it was the first one."_

Yuugi smirked deeper. "The clock hands have passed into the afternoon," he replied smugly. "Now, we use the afternoon numbering system. One o'clock is now thirteen o'clock. The bomb is in gondola thirteen."

"_Stop screwing around!"_

"The culprit saw me," Yuugi began, "But there are no other people in the park. The game was played with twelve colors corresponding to twelve numbers on a clock, but there are thirteen gondolas. There were people stuck in gondolas three, six, and thirteen. The only gondola with a person in it that had a number _not_ corresponding to a clock is thirteen. You're in gondola thirteen."

"_You're wrong. I'm blowing up three!"_

Yuugi grinned darkly. "You don't have time for that," he replied. "The bomb in thirteen is about to go off."

"_Wh…you idiot! __There's no bomb in here!"_

Yuugi grinned, a sinister aura gathering around him. "Look carefully." He placed the phone next to his watch. From his perch on the drop tower, he saw the person in gondola thirteen begin scurrying about. His suspicion was confirmed.

"_What's this sound?!"_

_**Penalty Game!**_

The culprit had no time to ask what it meant. He found a bomb on the seat opposite of him, and looked upon it in horror. Over the phone, and somehow in his mind, the boy's voice echoed.

_**The door to darkness has opened.**_

Screaming, he leapt out of the gondola. "Someone, save me!" he screamed. He then fell, followed by some shards of glass from the window he broke, into a nearby food stand.

Yuugi's sinister gaze did not lessen. _**If you're going to play a game with people's lives, you should be willing to sacrifice your own.**_

Once he was off the drop tower, Yuugi handed the phone back to the inspector, and pointed at the men the police were hauling out of the ruined food stand. "That's the criminal, sir." With that, he ran toward the now-running Ferris Wheel.

* * *

Anzu was relieved. The Ferris wheel was up and running again, and now she knew for sure that it was Yuugi that had rescued her. She watched as she neared the ground, and then ran toward him once she exited her gondola. "Thanks, Yuugi!" She cried. "You've saved me again!"

The boy just smiled at her the same way he always did. "Anzu! You're okay!"

The girl took an awkward step backward, tilting her head. "The usual Yuugi?" She muttered aloud.

Yuugi didn't seem to understand, but he kept right on grinning. "What do you mean by that?"

"What happened to the other Yuugi from earlier?" Anzu asked.

Now Yuugi was just confused. "What about me?" he asked. "What're you talking about, Anzu?"

Honda and Jounouchi were on the scene in a fraction of a second. "You were caught up in that mess?!" Jounouchi cried. "What happened?"

Anzu turned away stubbornly, apparently still miffed at Jounouchi's decision to butt in on her date. "That's what I want to know!" She declared, but inwardly she smiled. Yuugi _was_ the person that saved her. Now she knew it for sure.

Yuugi was still lost in conversation. "Uh…Anzu?" he asked, rubbing his head sheepishly. "What's going on?"

"I'm just glad everyone's okay," Honda said. "We should probably head home…"

"Yeah," Anzu said. "That's enough excitement to last ten more visits to this place."

Yuugi went along cheerfully, but was lost in thought. He could have sworn that one minute, the Gondola had just stopped, and one of the carriages had blown up. Next thing he knew it was running again with two other carriages damaged, as well as some strange man being hauled off and the window in carriage thirteen shattered. What was going on…?

* * *

WOO! Awesome fun-to-write chapter. Next up comes our favorite green-haired…well, he doesn't really have green hair, does he…

(1) Temperature is measured on the Celsius scale.


	11. Seto Kaiba

OMG?! Has it **finally** happened?! Is our favorite green…I mean brown-haired rich kid finally showing his face?!

Yes, that's right. If you couldn't guess by the title, Seto Kaiba is finally appearing in this chapter. He's really not a bad guy in the anime, to be honest…just a bit conceited.

Also, concerning our favorite card, I stuck with the name we knew best rather than the original name.

EDITED JULY 14, 2008

EDIT NOTE: I looked at the two different translations, and there are some differences. I'll add a few of the changes in this edit to help it make more sense.

**Yu-Gi-Oh  
The Shadow Games**

**Game Eleven  
Seto Kaiba**

* * *

_It had become perfectly clear by now. Yuugi was no longer the way he was before._

_Normally, he was shy and naïve. He couldn't help but be kind and generous to anyone he meets. He simply can't understand the concept of doing harm to anyone else – what it means, why people do it, anything. He wasn't very confident in himself, but would readily trust anyone. The only negative emotions Yuugi ever knew to feel were things like sadness and fear. He never knew what it was to truly hate or be angry._

_One day he had become attached to that artifact…the Millennium Puzzle. After eight years of trying to solve it, he finally managed to. He treasured it very greatly, but strange things began to occur the instant he solved it. Whenever he became intensely frightened, sad, or anything close to immense stress, there would be a strange flash of golden light flooding his vision and next thing he knew he was usually somewhere else or whatever had scared him half out of his mind was already over and repaired._

_Whatever was happening, Yuugi was gradually building up courage somehow, and something kept prodding his mind constantly. He even developed a sort of sixth sense from it; he could somehow tell if something bad was about to happen, and it was as though a soft voice in his mind was telling him where to go and what to do. It drew his attention to things he never would have noticed otherwise. It might have helped him immensely, but this sixth sense tended to get him into trouble…and out of it just as quickly._

_What he didn't know was that during his lapses of memory, Yuugi completely transformed. His appearance didn't seem to change much, but the aura around him certainly did. He clearly became more confident, more daring, and most certainly intimidating to anyone who cared to oppose him in any way. Just looking at or even hearing him would cause nearly anyone to stop in their tracks, sensing a sinister vibe coming from the boy._

_When the darkness evaporated, however, Yuugi would go right back to being his normal cheerful self again without a single memory or thought of what had happened after the flash of golden light. Whatever caused this was unknown to not only the boy, but his friends as well. However, they would soon find out about Yuugi's secret._

* * *

"Duel Monsters?"

Yuugi nodded, looking up from the pile of cards that were now scattered on his desk. "Yeah," he replied cheerfully. "Grandpa said it's getting popular with the third-years, so I decided to try it out. It's really fun."

Anzu, whom was standing nearby Yuugi's desk, seemed a bit more interested with the pictures on the cards. Holding one up, a smile spread across her face as she examined the image of a fairy. "They look so pretty!"

Jounouchi stared at one of the cards in his hand suspiciously as though it would bite him. "How do you play with these things?" he asked.

Yuugi seemed very happy to answer his friend's question, "It's a card battling game!" He replied. "See the numbers? Those are attack and defense values. You take turns placing your cards on the field where you battle." He gestured to a small map on his desk that represented several land types.

"Looks like fun," Anzu said, smiling.

"Really?" Jounouchi replied, leaning back in his chair. "I don't like these kinds of games very much…"

Nearby, Honda laughed. "That's because you don't like _thinking_ very much."

Jounouchi rose to protest hotly at the newcomer. "What do you mean by that?!" he demanded.

Honda turned his head away smugly. "You heard me. No secret meanings here."

Anzu cut in just before Jounouchi could pick a fight. "What's with the getup, Honda?" She asked, gesturing to the sash he wore across his normal uniform. It conveniently read "Beautification Week."

"These card games are popular, right?" Honda said. Yuugi nodded in agreement, causing the boy to stand upright with great dignity. Everyone began to get a sinking feeling as Honda began his usual beautification rant. "With such things as this involved, there are bound to be people bent on getting them through unfair and illegal means. Stealing, bullying…"

"Over _cards_?" Anzu asked incredulously before turning to the resident gamer. "Does that really happen, Yugi?

"Not really," Yuugi replied, a tad stubborn. "They aren't worth _that_ much; I doubt anyone would do _that_. There _are _people in America that come here just to buy a single card, though."

Honda ignored their comments, shaking a determined fist in the air. "I, as part of Beautification Week, will prevent illegal obtainment of these cards!"

"That's not a Beautification Member's job, is it?" Jounouchi said dryly, cocking an eyebrow. "I thought you just cleaned up trash around campus…"

"A Beautification Member doesn't just _clean_ what's dirty…" Honda began in complete gusto, "The first step is to _prevent_ filth! This is our mission! There are very few destined for this…no…I am the _only_ one!" He calmed down and bowed politely to continue his rant. "So, I set up Beautification Week to-"

"That is enough, Hiroto. Class is starting."

Honad turned sheepishly to the teacher behind him, his face flushing red. "Ah…right, sorry." He sat down promptly without another word, much to the relief of Yuugi, Jounouchi and Anzu.

The teacher cleared his throat politely. "I'd like to introduce a transfer student before we begin today. Please come in, young man."

Yuugi paid close attention, his chin resting on both hands. _I sure hope the new student is nice,_ he thought, smiling.

The person whom walked in was a very handsome young man. His school uniform was neat and tidy, and it fit him perfectly. Unlike most of the other children, however, his uniform was white, rather than the usual blue. His deep brown hair was styled smoothly, with a portion of it draping slightly over his crystal-blue eyes. With a small smile, he stepped before the class.

"This is Seto Kaiba, everyone. Please be polite."

Yugi blinked in surprise. Kaiba was the name of the First-Class entertainment company based in Domino City, Kaiba Corporation. Was this boy somehow…? Shaking it off, he sat up straight.

"Nice to meet you," Seto said, smiling at the entire class courteously.

The thoughts of the class were mixed. Anzu was highly excited by the young man's arrival, but Jounouchi muttered something under his breath about rich, spoiled brats, promptly earning him a reprimanding glare from both Anzu and Honda. The teacher gestured to the back of the classroom. "There's a spot next to Yuugi, Kaiba. You may sit there."

As Kaiba headed toward Yuugi's desk, he noticed a card on the ground next to him. He picked it up and handed it to the boy. "Duel Monsters, right?" he asked. "Is this one yours?"

"Yeah," Yuugi replied, taking the card. "Are you into games too, Seto?"

"Yes. I love them."

Yuugi smiled brightly. How lucky! The new transfer student had the same interests as him. Perhaps he would make a new friend.

He barely noticed a slight gloom lingering in the back of his mind.

* * *

That afternoon, Kaiba had invited Yuugi to visit to show him his card collection. Of course, the rest of his friends had come as well.

When they arrived, Jounouchi's jaw fell agape. "Isn't there a law against having a gigantic house like that?!"

Anzu shook her head. "Apparently not."

The house was large, alright. There was a fountain in the front surrounded by some fancily trimmed bushes, and the entire estate was guarded by a large fence with a sliding gate in the front. It looked fit for a king. Yugi could barely anticipate setting foot inside of it. With an exterior this grand, the inside had to be downright stunning…

"Welcome, everyone!" said Kaiba's voice over a speaker, startling all four of them immediately. "Please come in." With that, the gate opened, and the group calmly entered. Kaiba himself was there to greet them at the door, backed by four nurses. "Ah, everyone came? Wonderful. Come on in."

They did. The mansion seemed bigger on the inside than it did on the outside. It was incredible. The hallways looked big enough for an elephant to walk through. One could fit a museum in here if they wanted to. "This place is huge!" Yuugi exclaimed, stating aloud his thoughts.

Seto smiled meekly. "It's no big deal."

Jounouchi scoffed. "Show-off…"

"Blatantly spoken jealousy is rude, Jounouchi," Honda discreetly replied. "Keep your mouth shut."

The blonde began to pick a fight with Honda again when Anzu promptly stepped in to calm them both down. "Can't you two behave properly in _someone else's house_?" She grumbled. "You'll spoil Seto's evening."

Kaiba just smiled, shaking his head. "I don't mind," he replied. "I don't get visitors very often, so it's okay."

When they reached the place where Kaiba displayed his card collection, Yuugi's jaw practically hit the floor. Card cases spanned entire walls; countless cards were neatly lined up and displayed as though each and every one of them was a treasured gemstone. On another wall were several trophies that Kaiba claimed to have won in tournaments.

"You run amusement parks too, right?" Anzu asked.

Kaiba nodded. "Yes. I can make some arrangements for you at an amusement park if you'd like." He turned to Yuugi. "You play Duel Monsters too, right? Do you have any rare cards?"

Yuugi shook his head. "I don't, but I think my grandpa does."

At that moment, Yuugi noticed a strange glint in Kaiba's eye. "I'd love to see it!"

_**Hmm…**_

* * *

Yuugi took his friends and Kaiba to the game shop later to inquire his grandfather's best card. After a few moments of interrogation, Sugoroku shrugged, smiling, and pulled out the card in question with a great delicacy as though he were holding fine china. "Here it is."

Kaiba recoiled in shock. "This is…!"

Jounouchi cocked an eyebrow. "What's so special about it? It doesn't look any different from the others.

Sugoroku grinned as he held it: the image of a starting white drachen beast with sapphire-blue eyes graced the card's image, frozen in mid-roar. "It's called the Blue Eyes White Dragon. It was so powerful that the production of it stopped promptly after only four prints. Fanatics would pay _anything_ to get it!"

"Saying it like that makes it seem more poignant," Anzu said quietly. "Are you sure you're not exaggerating, sir?"

Anzu didn't need an answer. "Mister Mutou!" Kaiba cried, pulling forth his briefcase, his eyes wide in shock. "That card…I will trade all of these for it!" He opened his briefcase, revealing a mountain of cards within it.

Jounouchi's jaw dropped. "Amazing!" he cried.

Sugoroku, however, was not moved. "No."

Everyone else's jaw dropped. "Even _more_ amazing!"

Kaiba seemed completely disheartened, sulking a bit. "Why…? I'll pay you all I've got!"

Sugoroku shook his head. "You're Kaiba, correct?" He asked. Upon the boy's reply, he continued with a thoughtful smile on his face. "I understand how you feel, but I'm not keeping this card because it is rare." He turned to a photograph behind him, featuring him and a younger man smiling back. "It was given to me by my friend whom lived in America. Besides, truly precious treasures have your heart in them. For me, it's this card. You should treasure every card in that trunk, Mister Kaiba."

Yuugi blinked slowly at his grandfather's words…truly precious treasures have your heart in them. It reminded him of how he had poured his soul into completing his Millennium Puzzle not that long ago, and on that day when everything seemed to be going terribly, he had finally finished it with the help of Jounouchi. As he recalled it, his attention was suddenly drawn to Kaiba. Ever since the mention of his grandfather's treasured card, something about him had changed, and he didn't like it. He flinched unconsciously when he heard a familiar voice sound very quietly in the corner of his mind.

_**I don't like that look on his face…**_

Kaiba smiled warmly. "You're right, Mister Mutou. I was mistaken…" He picked up his trunk and headed out the door. "I'll head home now. I have some things to take care of before I get ready for school tomorrow."

The group bade the boy farewell, and the remainder of the evening was pleasant. What they didn't know was that as Kaiba was heading home in his limousine, his thoughts were elsewhere. Yuugi had a strange feeling that Kaiba didn't truly heed his grandfather's words…

* * *

The next day at school, Yuugi was explaining the game's rules to Jounouchi and Honda (Honda had won their first game, causing Jounouchi to play the role of sore loser) when Kaiba entered the classroom. "Good morning, Kaiba!" Yuugi called.

"Good morning," he boy said, bowing respectfully before stiffening his gaze slightly. "Yuugi, about the phone call last night…"

Yuugi nodded, unzipping his backpack and digging through it. "Yeah, I remember. I asked Grandpa, and he let me borrow it just for today." He reached into his backpack and pulled out the Blue Eyes White Dragon card that his grandfather had shown them the previous evening.

"Thank you so much!" Kaiba said. "I wanted to see it one more time. Your grandfather taught me to treasure my cards." He reached into his pocket discretely. As he handed it back to Yuugi, however, his hand fumbled and he dropped Mutou's card. "Ah, sorry! Allow me…"

As Kaiba bent down and handed the card back to Yuugi, Jounouchi and Honda watched closely, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Dusting off the retrieved card gingerly, Kaiba smiled. "Sorry about that. Here you are."

Yuugi took the card back from Kaiba, nodding gratefully. "No problem!"

The boy grinned back at him, nodding. "That card only shines when it is in the rightful owner's hands," Kaiba said before walking off to his class. Yuugi somehow noticed the hidden smirk Kaiba was giving him, and for some reason he couldn't take his eyes off of Kaiba's exiting form.

_**I don't like this.**_

* * *

After school that day, Jounouchi and Honda had not gone home with Yuugi. Instead, they had requested their recent transfer classmate's presence on the roof. Kaiba had agreed silently, and met them at the designated area. "This had better not be a waste of my time," Kaiba muttered, "What do you want?"

"Don't play dumb, Seto," Jounouchi replied angrily. "You know perfectly well what's going on."

Honda nodded, his glare just as intense as his blonde-haired friend. "You swapped cards with Yuugi, didn't you? You can't hide it from us!"

Kaiba chuckled. "I'd never do anything like that. That would be _stealing_."

"My eyes never miss a single _spec_ of dust," Honda snarled angrily, gritting his teeth. "You can't fool me! If you know what's right, you'll return it!"

Jounouchi grabbed Kaiba by the collar. "I never liked you from the beginning," he muttered in rage, "So it doesn't surprise me that you'd sink so low."

As Jounouchi began to throw a punch, he was intercepted by another sent to his own face by a uniformed guard. Kaiba smirked as Honda raced to his friend's side. "I hope you don't think ill of me," the wealthy boy said. "I'm the next president of Kaiba Corp, and their duty is to protect me."

The door behind them flew open, and Yuugi ran through, gasping at the sight in front of him. His two best friends lay battered and beaten on the ground up against the fence. He cried out in dismay as he ran forward. "Jounouchi! Honda!"

Kaiba turned around toward the boy. "Please listen, Yuugi. These two accused me of crime."

"Did they accuse you of swapping my grandpa's card for a fake?" Yuugi asked meekly, causing Kaiba's expression to immediately change into one of shock. Noting his acquaintance's change of face, Yuugi realized that his own suspicion was true. "I noticed, but I hoped that you'd reconsider and give it back…" He turned a kind gaze to Kaiba, inwardly pleading that he would be heard. "You said you liked games, didn't you? Please, give me the card back! You have it, don't you? It's really important to grandpa!"

But as Yuugi approached, Kaiba threw him to the ground with a single swing of his briefcase. "A card is a treasure?" he echoed, sneering. "That's stupid. A card is a card. Tell your grandpa that games are _not_ treasures; you have to have the tenacity to win by _any_ means, no matter what it takes!"

Kaiba then turned away, a smug grin on his face, with Yuugi staring in disbelief. He never thought before that he would get his hands on such a great find as this, but now that very find was at his fingertips. Grinning, he walked away. Yuugi began to run after Kaiba, but was stopped as the guards kicked him clean in the gut, causing him to pass out from agony.

"It's no use, kid. Give up."

Before Yuugi ever hit the ground, he felt a strange sensation of numbness crawling down his spine and wrapping around his limbs like bandages of a sort. The strange voice began to speak just as he lost consciousness.

_**You guards are worthless…how about you get out of my way?  
**_

* * *

Kaiba mused to himself, smug victory written all over his face. It had been incredibly simple to obtain what he had desired. That child couldn't have possibly understood the true meaning of the game. Grinning, he reached his limousine. But as he opened the door, he heard a voice behind him.

_**Kaiba. It's time for a game.**_

He spun around to see a familiar face grinning back at him. Yuugi was standing behind him…but that couldn't possibly be Yuugi! He was too confident, too…sinister. The look in his eyes seemed to pierce right into his very mind, and his stance wasn't that of the shy, innocent boy that he had known moments ago at all.

They soon found themselves sitting at a table with a deck of cards each. Kaiba was no longer surprised, but now he was smirking. This kid had such nerve to confront him to such a game. "Yuugi, you know you're challenging a Duel Monsters champion, don't you? You really think you can beat me?"

"Don't know," Yuugi replied. "But you should keep something in mind here, Kaiba… _This_ game will be different from any other you've played."

"I look forward to it," Kaiba responded. "Name your terms." He was keeping his cool, sure, but it was difficult when such a person had changed face so quickly. This was just another game of Duel Monsters, wasn't it? What was putting that disgusting smirk on Yuugi's face?!

"Forty cards per deck," Yuugi stated. "Life Points start at two thousand. When they hit zero, you lose. _Game Start._"

_Hmph. Standard dueling procedure. _Kaiba grinned. This was going to be a piece of cake. "I go first. Level five Gargoyle. I place him on the forest." As he did, a smoke began to rise and swirl. Startled, Kaiba inched back in his chair as an image of the gargoyle appeared before him, rising out of the card itself and startling Kaiba to no end.

Yuugi noticed his opponent's reaction right off. "I told you, didn't I?" he said, grinning. "This game will be _different_." Emphasis given, he placed a card on the field. "I'll block your attack with the Dark Dragon on the lake field."

An image of a dragon appeared, and it spewed flame on the gargoyle, causing it and its corresponding card to completely vanish. Kaiba's eyes widened as his life points fell to 1500. "Wha…the card…"

"Correct," Yuugi answered before Kaiba could finish his statement. "The losing card is _completely _destroyed. This is a Duel Monsters _Shadow Game_."

Kaiba remained silent for the briefest of moments. As he regained his composure, however, he laughed. "Amazing!" he cried. "Simply amazing, Yuugi! This is the ultimate game I've been searching so long for!" He drew another card. "Too bad it won't last very long. I play Minotaurus on the Desert Field!"

Again, an image appeared, this time of the Minotaurus. It launched its attack, destroying Yuugi's monster in a single swing, sending Yuugi's life points to the same value as Kaiba's own.

Yuugi drew silently. Countering a Minotaurus wasn't going to be easy, but he knew he could do it. He laid a card in defense position on the field. "Holy Elf," he said quietly. It had a good defense, but next to no attack power.

Kaiba's thoughts were similar. If he acted carelessly, he'd lose in a moment. He placed his Minotaurus in defense position, drew a card, and set it aside. Yuugi knew what was going on: Kaiba had drawn a spell card. Nevertheless, Yuugi continued. The card was Wight; a weaker card. It wouldn't help at all.

"So, my turn," Kaiba announced. "The spell card I played earlier. Growth. Minotaurus's attack is increased!" The beast attacked the elf, felling it in one swipe.

Yuugi knew he was at a disadvantage, but he was far from giving up. "I happen to have a powerful card in my hand as well," Yuugi replied smugly. "Summoned Demon. His field is the Dark Forest."

As the image appeared, Kaiba's eyes widened. It was impossible…Summoned Demon was one of the five most powerful rare cards. As he watched, he realized that the Minotaurus – even combined with growth – was no match against Yuugi's Demon. Kaiba's life points fell to 1200.

"We no longer know who is going to win this," Yuugi said, smirking. "Is there a card you can draw to match the Summoned Demon?"

Kaiba's own smirk returned. "Don't forget," he replied, "What wins this game isn't heart…it's skill!" He feigned a legit draw from his pocket and played his card. "On the lake field, I play the Blue Eyes White Dragon!"

Yuugi's smirk deepened. _I knew it…_

A burst of water erupted from the lake, and a majestic, snow-white dragon appeared. Sapphire blue eyes gleamed proudly, and it roared loudly, its razor-sharp fangs gleaming.

Kaiba laughed manically. "It's more beautiful than I imagined it!" he cried. "Attack, Blue Eyes White Dragon!" He watched, grinning. Yuugi's face stayed stiff as Kaiba anticipated the attack, yearning to finish off his opponent.

But the dragon did not move.

Slamming his fists against the table, Kaiba glared at the dragon. "What are you waiting for?!" he growled. "Finish him!"

It was at that moment Kaiba noticed Yuugi's pendant glowing. The boy was smiling slyly at him. "Kaiba," he began softly. "You don't understand why it's not attacking, do you? It's because your heart is not in that card."

"Wh-what?!"

Yuugi nodded. "My grandfather's heart is in that card. I can sense it." As he spoke, the image of the Blue Eyes White Dragon began to fade. Kaiba was utterly shocked. Yuugi continued as though the matter were only a minor matter. "Its obedience to your orders and its loyalty to my grandfather are conflicting. It destroyed itself to resolve the dilemma."

Kaiba gazed wide-eyed at the card before him. "Impossible! Cards can't possibly have a will of their own!" And with that, the Blue Eyes White Dragon card completely vanished, as though prompted by his words.

"Think of it that way if you wish," Yuugi replied, drawing from his deck. "The card I play now is Monster Reborn." He paused momentarily, noting Kaiba's shock. "It can revive one monster, whether it is in the enemy's graveyard or the user's."

"_What?!_" Kaiba cried. "You little…"

Yuugi nodded. "And of course, I revive the Blue Eyes White Dragon." The beast appeared on Yuugi's side of the field. Behind it, the boy grinned. "It's over, Kaiba."

Kaiba wasn't giving up. He drew his card, examining it carefully before he threw it onto the field. "I play Gremlin on Split Land!"

"What?!"

Yuugi could only watch as the land began to split in two, right between them. His opponent laughed and stood. "If the land is split," Kaiba explained, laughing, "Then the duel ends in a draw! We will meet again, _Yuugi_!"

Smoke billowed into the room, and Kaiba vanished from Yuugi's view. The only things that stood before Yuugi now were two seats and a desk completely split in two. Regardless, Yuugi smiled. "Just as I expected from an expert," he muttered, bending down and picking up the Blue Eyes White Dragon card. _Grandfather's treasure…I finally have it again._

* * *

The next day, Yuugi was heading home with Anzu and Jounouchi after school with a strange sense of victory in his mind ever since he woke up from unconsciousness. It was odd; he had been knocked out right after one of the guards had struck him, heard the mysterious voice again, and then woke up in his bedroom the next morning. His grandfather thanked him for not losing his Blue Eyes White Dragon, and Yuugi nodded, deciding not to mention the ordeal with Seto Kaiba. There was no sense in causing needless worry.

"I'm glad you found your grandfather's card," Anzu said cheerfully, pulling Yuugi out of his thoughts.

Yuugi smiled. "It's all thanks to Jounouchi and Honda."

Jounouchi shook his head. "Aw, we didn't do a thing." _But when we got up from being unconscious, we saw Kaiba's guards all beat up…I wonder if…?_

"That's not true!" Yuugi protested. "If it hadn't been for you, I never would have found out where it went!"

"All we did was get onto Kaiba," Jounouchi grumbled. "That cheap scum…"

Anzu tilted her head. "Now that you mention it, Kaiba seemed like such a nice person up until we began talking about rare cards…"

Yuugi paused momentarily. Anzu was right, Kaiba had seemed to completely change at that point. Shrugging it off, he headed home, splitting off from the group. As he rounded the corner, something pulled his attention forcefully to a young, white-haired boy approaching him. He felt the puzzle around his neck pulsing violently.

_**Wha…?!**_

The boy paused and blinked a few times, his emerald eyes finally resting on Yuugi's as though jerked from a trance. "Ah…did I do anything to you just now?"

"No," Yuugi replied slowly. "Why do you ask?"

"I see," the boy replied, smiling weakly. "I'm sorry. I tend to have short term memory loss…I'm glad nothing happened."

Yuugi had to repress the urge to widen his eyes. _Lose memory…?_ It was too much of a coincidence. If his attention was jerked to this boy, and they had something obviously in common, something had to be up.

"Take care," the boy said, politely bowing and walking off. Yuugi couldn't help but watch him until he rounded a corner and walked out of sight. There was something about him that concerned him, but what…?

* * *

Crashes filled the room as Kaiba madly threw his trophies into the glass showcases. He was furious. No one had ever beaten him before…no one had ever even concluded in a draw against him! Never!

_Yuugi…the day will come when I will defeat you! This is not the end! I swear it!_

* * *

I'm not good at describing Duel Monsters games. At all. At least I tried. By the way, this won't be the last you see of Kaiba. We'll be seeing that familiar white-haired boy again soon, too.


	12. The Warning

I'd like to note that some episodes or chapters in the manga I may not write, but if I do they will be "extras," so for now I'll continue on to the Death-T arc.

EDITED July 15, 2008

**Yu-Gi-Oh**

**The Shadow Games**

**Game Twelve**

**The Warning**

* * *

Thunder roared across the sky as a storm raged outside the Kaibaland Tower. A young man gazed out the window silently, teeth clenched tightly as the rain pattered against the window. His creation was finally complete. His ultimate revenge was all in place. Only one step remained.

"Seto, is this Yuugi person really that strong?"

The young man turned. Behind him stood a boy whom had to have been in elementary school, ragged black hair falling around his shoulders, a stiff cloak on his shoulders and a smirk on his face as jade eyes stared back at his brother. Seto stared quietly. "Don't underestimate him. He may seem like a meek and innocent person, but when pushed to his limits, he becomes so powerful he's like a completely different person."

Mokuba did not lose his smirk. He actually seemed amused by the comment. "If _you_ say so, then it must be true."

Kaiba turned back to the storm outside his window, barely acknowledging his brother's comment. "This time, I'll destroy him for sure… He'll pay for humiliating me."

* * *

Seto Kaiba hadn't shown himself in school since the incident not long ago. While Yuugi was indeed worried about him, he was still a bit shocked about his behavior. One moment, Kaiba was inviting them into his home so kindly, offering them many things, being so generous…and next thing he knew, he was acing no better than a common thief.

The sound of a door opening caught Yuugi's attention, snapping him out of his thoughts. Chouno stepped in front of the class. After the usual class introduction, she daintily cleared her throat. "Today, we'll be introducing another transfer student. Please be polite to him."

Yuugi did a double take when he noticed the boy in front of the class. The white hair, the jade eyes, the same complexion…no doubt about it, the boy standing in front of the classroom was the same boy he had met the day before. He smiled, bowing politely. "My name is Bakura Ryou. It's nice to meet you all."

Yuugi blinked. The day before, his puzzle had pulsed strangely just before he ran into the boy. When he noticed that Bakura was looking directly at him, Yuugi shyly turned his gaze away. He felt a mental prod in the back of his mind, but swiftly ignored it.

By the end of the day, though, Bakura was an instant favorite among the girls in the class. Jounouchi looked on in dismay. "Even with that bush of hair on his head, he's still so popular…"

Honda shook his head. "You're one to talk, Jounouchi."

With a slight clatter, the boys noted Bakura standing up and heading silently their way (leaving the girls at his desk confused in the process). As he approached Yuugi, he slowed to a stop. "Excuse me."

Yuugi lifted his head off his hand. "Yeah…?"

Bakura smiled ever-so-slightly. "Your pendant. It's an interesting shape."

Realizing that he would possibly be able to make a new friend, Yuugi beamed proudly and held up his treasure. "It's called the Millennium Puzzle. It was found in an Egyptian tomb a decade or so ago."

For a moment, Bakura looked at it in wonder. "An Egyptian tomb…" he echoed, reaching for it. Seconds later, however, he doubled over, clutching his chest and hissing quietly as though something stung him.

Anzu, first to notice as always, rushed to his side. "Are you alright?!" She cried.

Bakura looked up, smiling sheepishly and clutching his chest. "I'm fine, don't worry."

* * *

That day, as the friends walked home from school, Bakura joined them as they introduced themselves. Eventually, the subject of where Yuugi lived came up. Bakura seemed very interested at even the thought of it. "Yuugi lives in a game store?"

Yuugi nodded. "Yeah! Do you like games, Bakura?"

Bakura nodded cheerfully. "I love them, especially board games."

"Ah, the fundamentals!" Yuugi exclaimed, though only he and Bakura really understood what he was referring to. Board Games were usually the most common types of games sold.

"Hey, why don't we all go to that new arcade near the train station?" Jounouchi said. "Tomorrow is Sunday, so we should have a bit of fun before heading home."

Though he might have been right, Yuugi knew that Jounouchi simply wanted to avoid going home sooner than he had to. The blonde's home life wasn't all that splendid, after all. Anzu knew the same as well, but was quick to jump on the opportunity to have some fun herself. "That sounds like fun!" She added.

"Yeah!" Yuugi cried, always eager to try a new game. "Do you want to come too, Bakura?"

Bakura nodded. "Sure."

* * *

When they arrived at the arcade, however, Jounouchi's eager look turned to one of suspicion. Yuugi caught it quickly, and looked up at his friend. "What's wrong?"

"Looks like it's here, too," Jounouchi said. At Yuugi's confused glance, he nodded toward one of the games in annoyance. "Take a look. It's on all the ranking systems."

Yuugi did. There were always three letters someone could put when they had themselves ranked for a game's high score. The number one scorer on all the games chose KAI.

"Not just here," Jounouchi continued, glaring about the room. "All the nation's games are connected with an online system, including these. In other words, this KAI guy is the top gamer in Japan."

"Amazing," Yuugi breathed in wonder. Whoever this KAI person was, it was bound to be someone with incredible skill.

_**I beg to differ…**_

"What are you two going on about?" Anzu said suddenly, almost catching the two by surprise. "We're here to welcome Bakura, not stand around glaring at screens."

Yuugi lowered his head in shame. "Ah, right…"

Jounouchi, of course, was not upset by this at all. With renewed vigor, he threw a determined fist into the air. "Then let's rewrite this KAI person's record with Bakura's name!" he cried.

"That's impossible."

The group turned around to see two young delinquents standing behind them, snickering as though their antics were part of some comedian routine. Jounouchi, however, was not amused at all. "What did you say?!" he demanded

"You can't break Kaiba's record."

Yuugi's eyes widened, and in his shock he barely noticed his mind throb suddenly. "Wait," he said, stunned. "Did you just say _Kaiba_?!"

One of the kids nodded, a broad grin slapped on his face. "Yep. He's our hero."

Doing a double take, Yuugi took a closer examination of the high score list of a nearby Pacman machine. _KAI…that must stand for 'Kaiba!'_

"Kaiba?" Jounouchi echoed, startled. "So he's good at _all_ games, not just Duel Monsters…?"

The kids laughed again. "Are you retarded?" one of them remarked, earning a stern glare from Jounouchi. "You're talking about the _older_ brother. He might be strong, but the one who made all _those_ records is the _younger_ brother, Mokuba."

"That scum has a_ younger brother_?!" Honda growled. "We've had a bad enough time with just one of them!"

"Those two have conquered all kinds of games," one of the children said, smirking as they began to leave. "See ya. Good luck challenging those records. You'll _need _it."

For a moment, Jounouchi and Yuugi were upset about how the children had smarted off to them, but they were quickly distracted when Anzu called them over to a nearby game machine where Bakura was racking up a surprisingly good score. Shortly afterward, however, their interest was lost and the two walked over to some other games.

"I like this," Jounouchi said somewhat smugly. "A fighting game! Just my style. Wanna play me, Yuugi?"

Yuugi nodded and sat down, slipping in a token. "I'll choose this one, Dragon-1. He's a Kung Fu master."

Anzu beamed at the appearance of the dark-haired warrior on the screen. "Cool! It's just like in a movie!"

"Yup," Yuugi replied, nodding. "He's a movie star, but he also appears as himself in this game. I'm a big fan of him."

Jounouchi bounded over to the other side of the machine. "Alright! Let's have a match, Yuugi!"

It turned out that even if Jounouchi loved them, he wasn't too swell at fighting games, though when Anzu approached him about it he insisted with a scowl that he'd win in a real match.

As the evening closed in, the group headed to a racing game where Bakura was competing. At the start of a new game, everyone slipped in their tokens and competed with each other, but at the start Jounouchi ended up left behind and had to catch up. As he was, a limo bumped into his car.

"Who's car is that?" Jounouchi asked. "I don't remember limos being in this game."

"It's not mine," Anzu said.

"_How p__athetic. You'll never beat my high score like __**that**__."_

Again, Jounouchi was outraged. "Quit mocking me," he grumbled, glancing around.

Yuugi blinked in surprise. "Jounouchi…the voice is coming from the game."

"_Let me show you a more __**fun**__ game!"_

The image of Mokuba Kaiba threw a cartoonish bomb at the screen, and all game screens in the arcade changed briefly to the Kaiba-Corporation logo before a familiar face appeared on screen, scowling back at them.

"_Yuugi, this time we settle it."_

Yuugi's eyes widened considerably. "Kaiba?!"

"What's going on here?!" Jounouchi cried angrily.

"_I'm giving you an invitation. Come to Kaiba Land."_

_Kaiba Land?_ Yuugi echoed contemplatively. Something started to prod the back of his mind again, but once more he pushed it away.

"How arrogant," Anzu muttered. "If you want to duel Yuugi, then come here!"

"_You have no choice but to come, Yuugi. Hey, Mokuba…"_

Another face appeared on the screen…the face of the child in the limousine from the racing game. Honda cringed a bit. "That's Mokuba?" he said incredulously. "He looks like he's in grade school…"

"_Heh…Yuugi, take a look at this."_

Yuugi glanced over and found a very familiar person tied up on the ground. Gasping, he immediately recognized it as his grandfather.

"_He's just an old geezer…bait for someone to come to Kaiba Land."_

Kaiba appeared again, his scowl unchanging. _"If you want your grandfather back, you'll have to duel me, and we have various games you must win before you even get the chance. If you lose on the way, you have to immediately retire, and the old man will face a penalty game."_

_**Penalty game…?!**_

Yuugi was incredibly afraid. He strongly felt like running, but he knew he couldn't. Pushing away the foreboding feeling, he stood. "Grandpa has nothing to do with this! Why are you doing this, Kaiba?"

"_Because I cannot forgive the humiliation you dealt me."_

The boy blinked, barely noticing his friends turning a curious gaze to him. What humiliation? What had he done to deserve this…?

"_If you're not confident, you always have your __**friends**__ there to back you up. Of course, if you lose, they will face a penalty game __**with**__ you."_

"You'll face a penalty if you lose, won't you?!" Jounouchi said furiously. "It's only fair if you do!"

"_In the __**unlikely**__ chance that happens, that won't occur. If you win, you will get a prize instead."_

Mokuba appeared abruptly. _"But my big brother won't have to appear; you won't beat __**me**__!"_

Yuugi winced. Mokuba would be challenging him, too?! This was too much to handle!

"_We'll be waiting at Kaiba Land tomorrow at Eight o'clock. Be there, or your old man faces the penalty game." _With that, the message ended with a Game Over.

Yuugi stuttered, eyes wide with fear. He felt his mind being prodded again. Why was Kaiba doing this to him? Something began to rise up within him, but Yuugi forced it back down as he stood, walking calmly away to sit on a bench.

_**Why are you…?**_

Bakura had caught sight of Yuugi's pendant pulsing and promptly doubled over, wincing. Honda, who sat next to him, immediately took notice. "Bakura! Are you alright?"

The white-haired boy nodded briefly. "I'll be fine. I just need to go home and get some rest."

"I'll walk you there," Honda offered, helping Bakura stand. "Jounouchi, Anzu…can you take care of this?"

The two gave an approving nod, and Honda helped an exhausted Bakura out of the arcade. When they returned their gaze to Yuugi, the boy was staring downward in disbelief. "Grandpa," he muttered very quietly. His mind was swarming. Why was Kaiba treating him like this? What had he done?

Anzu bit her lip. It pained her to see her childhood friend like this. She knew there was not much she could do to help, so instead she decided to remain by his side.

"I don't care what he wants," Jounouchi said, cutting in, "We'll beat Kaiba at his own game, won't we Yuugi? We'll win, get your grandfather back, _and_ get the prize!"

"Kaiba's very powerful," Yuugi replied quietly, shaking his head and beginning to walk away. "And who knows what he's hiding…"

Jounouchi scowled. "Why are you acting like such a wimp before you even try?!"

Yuugi spun desperately to his friend, his face a mixture of terror and confusion. For the briefest of moments, his puzzle pulsed. "Because if I lose, Grandpa will suffer!"

Sighing, Jounouchi knew he couldn't protest at Yuugi in his state. Instead, he walked over and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I know you're worried Yuugi, but if you don't go he'll stay there. I'll go with you."

The boy just shook his head. "No, Jounouchi…I don't want to burden anyone…"

Jounouchi reached forward to grab his friend by the collar of his shirt, but Anzu pushed them apart before it could even start. The blonde reluctantly calmed down, but Yuugi simply walked quietly away. He was clearly upset. As Jounouchi watched his friend, however, he couldn't help but feel reminded of how he felt when his sister was in the hospital.

And for some reason, the way Yuugi walked off that day was very similar to how he was walking off now.

Anzu repressed a sigh. Yuugi was a strong person, but he didn't seem to know that side of himself yet. She pondered telling him, but decided against it. There was no sense in pressuring him.

* * *

Yuugi felt himself sinking down into the darkened depths of depression. Kaiba hated him, and he didn't even know why. He had suspicions, but that was all. As he glanced at the game machine next to him, he saw the character selection on his favorite fighter: Dragon-1. There was nothing he had that could beat Kaiba. He loved games, that was true, but he didn't know whether or not he had any skill. Dragon-1 had special powers in movies, but he didn't.

_**You aren't weak.**_

Ignoring the strong tug at the edge of his conscience, Yuugi sighed. He suddenly felt like he didn't even know himself. Kaiba wouldn't come up with a stupid reason to kidnap his grandfather. Whatever had happened must have been huge…but he had no recollection of it. It was awful.

Anzu began to speak, but Jounouchi immediately cut her off. "Don't waste time thinking, Yuugi! Go and win!"

Yuugi didn't return any comments. Anzu noted that Yuugi probably wanted to be left alone, but Jounouchi shook his head. He couldn't just leave him there. "Are you thirsty, Yuugi? I'll buy a drink for you if you want."

"I don't want anything," the boy replied, the volume of his voice bordering silence.

But Jounouchi wouldn't have it. "You like Cola, right? I'll get you one, wait there."

Yuugi sat silently. Jounouchi just wanted to help, but he couldn't let him get hurt. He didn't know what this "Penalty Game" Kaiba planned was, but it couldn't be anything good. Before he could continue his thoughts, a sound from the game caught his attention. The word "Challenger" flashed across the screen.

"Be my opponent."

Yuugi blinked a few times at the voice from across the game machine and reluctantly slipped a coin into the machine, and chose Dragon-1.

Strangely enough, Yuugi found the match easy. Even with the thought of going to face Kaiba with his grandfather on the line, he did well in a simple arcade game…but for some reason, he felt like it wasn't just him winning. The challenger slipped in another coin, and Yuugi, though surprised, did so as well, defeating his opponent again.

"Hey, you brat!"

Yuugi looked up reluctantly to the tall stranger in front of him. He was wearing a leather outfit, sported a haircut similar to Dragon-1…and looked _very_ angry. Before Yuugi could make a comment or ask a question, a fist flew across his face and sent him into the ground. "Moron. Don't get all puffed up just because you won a stupid game. Let me show you what a _real_ fight is like!"

There was no time to brace himself. The boy pinned Yuugi against the game machine and pounded him with a flurry of punches. As Yuugi fell to the floor motionlessly, the boy laughed. "Where's that victorious look from before, chump?" As he kicked Yuugi over, he noticed the puzzle around his neck and grinned, reaching for it. "Hey, I like that necklace you've got there."

Yuugi had so little energy; he could barely manage to protest. "No! Don't take that!" In his mind, a sharp jerk pulled at him.

But the rope already snapped, and the boy glared at him. "Shut up!" He yelled, kicking Yuugi once more before exiting the arcade. "Winning a real fight is much more satisfying than a stupid game. Keep that in mind, kid."

Just as the boy left the scene, Jounouchi and Anzu entered it. "Yuugi!" Anzu cried, running to his side and helping him up.

"Yuugi, what happened?!" Jounouchi demanded, eyes wide in horror.

The boy couldn't even open his eyes, but his worries were focused on one thing. He couldn't get the thought of it away from him…it was like someone had bolted it into his mind and it would not be lifted unless it was resolved. Deciding not to resist it, he spoke quietly. "My puzzle…he took…"

Jounouchi didn't need another word. "Don't worry," he said calmly, standing. "I'll get it back."

"No, Jounouchi! He's strong…"

The blonde didn't give any expression. "That's fine. Just leave it to me."

Jounouchi ran out of the room, and Yuugi was left lying on the floor with Anzu beside him. Yuugi felt himself passing out, yet at the same time he remained at the edge of consciousness, and he even thought he heard a voice speak to him.

_**Have faith in your friend. He won't fail.**_

* * *

The Dragon-1 imposter grinned, tossing the pendant up and down in the air and admiring it before slipping it around his neck. It was a rather well-made toy. Odd for a boy like that to be hauling it around.

"Hold it!"

The assailant turned around to see a very angry Jounouchi behind him. "You bastard," the blonde said quietly, yet angrily. "The hell you think you're doing, _picking on the weak_ like that?" (1)

The assailant lifted an eyebrow. "You're challenging me to a fight?"

"Yeah," Jounouchi replied, barely containing his anger, "I'm going to kick your ass to get that thing back, pal."

"Looks like you're a bit more persistent than I thought," the stranger said, smirking. "A straight-out fight would be _boring_. Let's have a game."

For some odd reason, Jounouchi wasn't losing confidence. "Game, you say?"

The two ended up on either side of a pipe over the sewage channel not far from the arcade. "The rules are simple," the boy told Jounouchi. "Whoever leaves or falls from this pipe loses."

"Easy enough," Jounouchi scowled, glancing at the sewer water below him. "This won't take long." For some reason, however, he had the feeling the odds had been stacked in his favor.

"I'll warn you," the imposter said, grinning, "I've perfected my style of fighting to match Dragon-1 to a tee. This location is _nothing_ to me."

Jounouchi, though his face didn't show it, was clearly smirking through his tone of voice. "Then I won't have to hold back, will I? I don't need _fists_ to bring down an imposter like you."

Infuriated by his opponent's mocking statement, the Dragon-imposter threw forward a flurry of punches. Jounouchi simply dodged all of them with his hands in his pockets and slipped a foot under the boy's leg, putting him off balance briefly. "What's wrong, Mister Imposter?" he taunted. "Can't aim?"

"Don't get cocky just yet!" The stranger cried, whipping a pair of nunchaku from his pocket. "I never said this was a _bare-handed_ game!"

Jounouchi swore; the imposter was playing dirty. Even so, he persevered, dodging swiftly. He found himself at the end of the pipe, and the imposter laughed, readying his final strike…

…and was promptly sprayed in the face with a soda.

The imposter stumbled and fell, grabbing the pipe at the last minute to avoid falling. Jounouchi glanced in disappointment at the empty soda can in his hand. "You ruined the present for my friend," he said in disdain. "This cost me a hundred yen, you know."

"Wha…cola?!" The imposter grumbled.

The blonde disregarded the now-ruined soft drink, tossing the can aside. He then reached down and snatched the pendant from the bully's neck. "You know, this thing really doesn't seem to be your style. I don't recall this being a part of the Dragon-1 outfit, either."

The imposter sneered. "Th-this doesn't end here."

Jounouchi narrowed his eyes. "Actually, it does." With a swift kick, he sent the bully plummeting into the sewage canal. "Don't catch a cold," he called, stepping back onto solid ground and walking casually back to the arcade. As he did, he had a strange feeling of satisfaction in the back of his mind.

_**Not bad, Jounouchi.**_

* * *

Yuugi was more or less surprised at Jounouchi's return. To say he was eager for his friend's arrival was an understatement; not only was he desperate to get his puzzle back, but the fate of his friend had him just as worried.

"I'm going with you tomorrow," Jounouchi said firmly. "And I'm not accepting any refusals you might have."

The boy blinked. Somehow he felt glad that he'd be receiving help, but he also felt that it was a bad idea. "But…"

"I'm not afraid of some stupid penalty game," Jounouchi continued, knowing that Yuugi would start if he didn't state his reason. "We're friends, aren't we?"

Yuugi smiled. "Thanks, Jounouchi…"

Anzu smiled briefly, but her curious gaze returned as she turned to Jounouchi. "But what're you going to do about your bad gaming skill? You don't really have anything to practice with…"

"Knock it off! I'll figure it out somehow."

Yuugi smiled brightly. He might have been worried, but he was still greatly relieved that Jounouchi would be with him. Slowly but surely, he felt his confidence returning to him.

* * *

In preparation for the next day, Jounouchi stayed up all night reading through gaming magazines, thinking he was the only one to go and support Yuugi.

Anzu, however, was secretly planning to join them. She cooked all night before going to bed, her mind swarming with thoughts. Yuugi would be fine. He was a strong person…he just needed confidence.

A thought briefly flew through her mind of the Yuugi that saved her several times, but she quickly shook it off. She had more important things to worry about, and turned her attention to packing the food for the next day.

Honda, in the meantime, was practicing his meditation in his bedroom. Of course, it wasn't going well. After a few moments, he gave up and stood, turning around to look at the evening sky, pondering the message that had been sent to Yuugi. The day Kaiba had started the trouble was odd enough; he had woken up to find the boy's guards beaten up worse than he had been, and Yuugi was gone. Maybe someone had rescued him, and Kaiba was blaming this whole thing on Yuugi instead of the rescuer.

At the game shop, Yuugi was staring at a photo on his dresser. It had been a good amount of time ago, but it had been merely a month when he had made a wish on the Millennium Puzzle to have friends…and the puzzle had given him some sort of power, he was sure of it. With that power, whatever it was, he knew he could help his grandfather. As he turned to crawl into bed, he muttered aloud a promise, somehow feeling that someone would hear him.

"Tomorrow, I'll save you…I promise."

_**I promise.**_

* * *

The morning was foggy, and the humidity wasn't helping Yuugi stay awake. The boy couldn't help but remember that uncharacteristic look on Kaiba's face…something in him told him something wasn't right with Kaiba…those blank eyes, that expressionless face…maybe he could help him.

Jounouchi didn't take long to find; he was standing at a street corner near Yuugi's home waiting for him. "Sleep well last night?" he asked.

"Sort of," Yuugi replied. In truth, he didn't really get much sleep at first, but the same thing that had been prodding his mind for so long somehow managed to calm him enough to doze off within minutes. "How about you?"

"I slept alright," Jounouchi replied, deciding not to worry Yuugi about his own lack of sleep. Even so, he knew Yuugi could tell he was a bit tired, and decided to change the subject. "You don't seem scared anymore."

Yuugi nodded. "Yeah. I'm not alone, after all…" As he said it, he smiled to himself. Inwardly, he felt another feeling…was it relief? Or maybe it was…

"Good morning, you two."

The two stopped in their tracks when they saw where the voice had come from. There stood Anzu, smiling happily back at him. "Let's do our best, Yuugi!"

Yuugi did a double take. "_Our_ best? Don't tell me you're…"

"I came to cheer," the girl said, confirming the boy's thoughts and answering his question before he could even say it. "But if I can help you in any way, let me know."

Before the group could step much further, another voice joined the group. "Don't leave me out of the fun, you three."

"Honda?" Yuugi exclaimed. "What're you doing here?"

"I should have asked the same when Anzu showed up," Jounouchi said incredulously. "Everyone's showing up inexplicably. Kaiba didn't send invitations to you guys too, did he?"

"Of course not," Honda grumbled. "As a beautification member, I cannot overlook Kaiba's dirty ways!"

Jounouchi rolled his eyes. "Even now, you're still doing that…"

Yuugi barely paid attention to the argument. He couldn't help but smile at everyone's sudden appearance…it was like deep down in his heart something had called out for them, and they came. "Thanks, everyone…"

Jounouchi waved it off casually. "Thank us _after_ we beat Kaiba. Let's go."

* * *

Bakura staggered through the street aimlessly. Underneath his shirt, a triangular pendant situated in a ring pulsed, the five golden arrows hanging from it jingling as something began tugging strongly at his mind. His chest throbbed in pain, but he did not pause to regain composure. Something was calling him, and whatever it was it would not let go of his mind.

For some reason, the golden and calming horizon seemed incredibly sinister...

* * *

As the boat carried Yuugi across the river, he looked toward the top of the tower, seeing two familiar faces staring back down at him. Narrowing his eyes, he fixed his gaze forward. His grandfather was waiting inside. No matter what, he had to help him…he had to get his grandfather out of there. Whatever Kaiba was planning couldn't be good.

_I'm coming, Grandpa._

**To Be Continued!**

* * *

(1) Recognize this, anyone?

EDIT NOTE: Finally. Time to write new chapters. DEATH-T: START!


	13. A Deadly Attraction

Yep, I'm still alive!

Keep in mind that since the anime version of Death-T doesn't quite fit this, I'm going to be using the manga version…manga version is just better and more fun (it also seems more popular among some people, and besides…some of the elements in the manga fit way better). This may be split into more chapters than normal, and I apologize for this chapter being short, but I had to get it out there before I was eaten alive by the story's inactivity.

**Yu-Gi-Oh!**

**The Shadow Games**

**Game Thirteen**

**A Deadly Attraction**

* * *

Sugoroku found himself sitting in a strange glass box in a room full of darkness. He sat silently, contemplating what had happened to him. He'd been kidnapped and taken to Kaiba Corp, where he had been tied up and set in front of a camera for a few moments. Kaiba must have sent some sort of message to his grandson after that…but why did that young man hate Yuugi so much?

More importantly, why was he in this strange box, with his deck in his hand? If Kaiba was planning to kill him, he sure was going to do it creatively.

With a lurch, the box shoved upward. An eerie light was cast upon the glass box as it moved, and with that light came the old man's opponent. Sugoroku clutched his deck tightly as he gazed upon the dueling field and – more importantly – the familiar face in front of him.

Seto Kaiba smirked, and in his best imitation of Yuugi's other voice, he spoke only a single phrase: "Well, then…_Game Start_!"

* * *

Fireworks were going off outside. Many people visiting Kaiba Land were excited at the opening of the attractions. Children everywhere crowded the arcade games, even some of the teenagers there seemed to be having fun. The entire indoor park was filled with laughter and cheerful sounds, not to mention the constant sound effects that the video games gave off. In one part of the crowd, however, there was a small group of people that wasn't so thrilled.

Yuugi quietly walked past the games – a very rare thing for him to do – in search for his grandfather. Anzu seemed worried as well, but Jounouchi was simply angry (of course, this was technically the only way for Jounouchi to be worried, but Yuugi never pondered it much). It didn't take them long to decide where to go.

"_Thank you for visiting Kaiba Land. The Opening Battle will begin soon. All wishing to see this battle, please proceed to the Battle Tower stadium."_

"Sounds like that's our destination," Honda said somewhat flatly. "Let's head over there."

It wasn't hard to get there; everyone else was headed in that direction as well. When they reached it, they leaned over a metal railing to see the sight before them: an enormously tall tower. The stairs nearby led upward to what was probably the seating, but as hard as he tried, Yuugi couldn't clearly see what was in the center of the area due to the massive crowds of people headed there. Of course, it didn't help much that he was naturally short, either.

"Please head this way."

The group spun around to see a man in a uniform standing behind them, bowing politely. Even though he acted polite, however, Yuugi had a strong suspicion about this man's true side. "You are Yuugi Mutou and his companions, correct?" The man asked. "Master Kaiba is waiting for you. Please come this way."

Jounouchi was about to throw another fit, but Anzu silenced him quickly with a look. They followed the man politely into an elevator, where they stood in silence as it rose. Thoughts flew through Yuugi's mind, like where they would end up, how his grandfather was doing, how this even started…he hoped nothing terrible was going on, but something told him that he would have to tread cautiously.

Unfortunately for him, when the door opened his worst fears were confirmed. His grandfather was at a dueling table, but he had fallen out of the chair where he must have been sitting earlier. Three-dimensional holograms of ferocious monsters were projected in the glass box that he was confined in, and their roaring, gaping maws reached closer and closer to Sugoroku.

_**Wha…you bastard, Kaiba!**_

Yuugi couldn't take it anymore. Ignoring the angered voice in his mind, he shoved past the guards and raced toward the glass box, throwing open the door and dragging Sugoroku out. "Grandpa! Are you okay?!"

The old man was breathing heavily. "Yuugi…" He said, still trying to regain his breath. "I lost, I'm sorry…"

It was hard to suppress looking at Kaiba on the projection screen above them, but with whatever emotion, Yuugi didn't know. In the back of his mind, he felt a strange and alien emotion.

_**He'll do **_**anything**_** to win…even **_**this**_**?**_

As Yuugi was finishing his thought, Sugoroku pressed a deck of cards into Yuugi's hands. "I put my heart into making this deck, Yuugi…If you have it, I'm sure it'll help you."

Yuugi nodded quietly. "I'll win, Grandpa. I promise." As he stood, a team of paramedics rushed in and Sugoroku was placed on a stretcher. As they left, Yuugi clenched his teeth.

Kaiba's image on the overhead screen grinned maliciously. _"It's good to see you made it, Yuugi. Welcome to Death-T!"_

At his words, the entire room lit up. It was a lot bigger than Yuugi had anticipated. In fact, they were standing right in the middle of the stadium they had seen earlier. Surrounding them were countless crowds of cheering people, and bright lights shone from above. Not only was it unnerving to be the center of attention like this (the something that had plagued Yuugi for a while was starting to jab at him the moment he began feeling nervous), but the knowledge that his grandfather's life depended on a revenge that Kaiba had turned into some hellish game show made him incredibly frightened.

"_Open the door to the first game!"_ Kaiba announced on the screen. On cue, a billowing steam blew from vents at the nearby door (probably just as an effect, but Yuugi didn't want to take his chances). Inside was a futuristic hallway. Warily, Yuugi stepped forward, his friends following him. Once they all entered, the door slammed shut behind them.

"Guess there's no turning back now," Jounouchi mumbled.

"Who said he would give us a choice?" Anzu replied, to which Jounouchi silently agreed.

The group continued forward into the room ahead, finally coming upon another door marked "Death-T 1." As it opened, they stepped into a pitch-black room, which promptly began flashing with a red light, sirens blaring into their ears.

"_Emergency! Emergency! The space station is being under enemy attack and is being destroyed!"_

"Did he _have_ to go out of his way to make it theatrical?" Honda groaned, wincing.

"_You are the only remaining hope for the space station. Please put on the cyber vests and defeat the enemy with the laser guns you are given!"_

"I'm not all that partial to violence," Yuugi mumbled, "But this kind of reminds me of laser tag. It shouldn't be too bad."

"_I'd be careful if I were you Yuugi."_

Yuugi's attention spun to the monitor nearby, where Kaiba's face appeared grinning malevolently back at them. Jounouchi was the first to remark. "What do you want, you bastard?!"

"_It would only be fair if I explained the rules before you entered,"_ he boy replied slyly, a broad smirk plastered on his face. _"This game is not unlike a simple game of Laser Tag, but there are still rules to remember. There is a sensor on each of the vests that you are wearing. Hitting that sensor will end the game for the one that is hit. Once all of the enemies are defeated, you will proceed to Death-T 2."_

"And if we lose?" Honda demanded, only to receive a chuckle in return. Yuugi felt his eyes narrow. He didn't like the look on Kaiba's face. Laser Tag or not, this was definitely more dangerous than it seemed, especially if Kaiba was laughing in that tone of voice.

"_Your opponents aren't just anyone. They are trained army professionals."_

"I knew it was going to be something twisted," Jounouchi growled.

Kaiba apparently didn't care. _"Game Start!"_

The monitor flickered off, and the door nearby them opened. Cautiously, the four stepped into the enormous, maze-like room before them, the only light appearing from the floor below them. Armed with their laser guns, they moved cautiously forward. The first game of Death-T had begun.

* * *

Yep...I'm still alive. One game at a time, folks. Time to shoot some stardust...or we could just play laser tag. Laser Tag is a lot safer.


End file.
